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. 2023 Mar 29:9:20552076231165972.
doi: 10.1177/20552076231165972. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Mobile app for personalized sleep-wake management for shift workers: A user testing trial

Jade M Murray  1   2 , Michelle Magee  1   2 , Emma S Giliberto  1   2 , Lauren A Booker  1   2   3 , Andrew J Tucker  1   2 , Beth Galaska  4 , Sara M Sibenaller  4 , Sharon A Baer  4 , Svetlana Postnova  2   5 , Thijs A C Sondag  6 , Andrew J K Phillips  1   2 , Tracey L Sletten  1   2 , Mark E Howard  1   2   3 , Shantha M W Rajaratnam  1   2
Affiliations

Mobile app for personalized sleep-wake management for shift workers: A user testing trial

Jade M Murray et al. Digit Health. .

Abstract

Objective: Development of personalized sleep-wake management tools is critical to improving sleep and functional outcomes for shift workers. The objective of the current study was to test the performance, engagement and usability of a mobile app (SleepSync) for personalized sleep-wake management in shift workers that aid behavioural change and provide practical advice by providing personalized sleep scheduling recommendations and education.

Methods: Shift workers (n = 27; 20 healthcare and 7 from other industries) trialled the mobile app for two weeks to determine performance, engagement and usability. Primary outcomes were self-reported total sleep time, ability to fall asleep, sleep quality and perception of overall recovery on days off. Secondary performance outcomes included sleep disturbances (insomnia and sleep hygiene symptoms, and sleep-related impairments) and mood (anxiety, stress and depression) pre- and post-app use. Satisfaction with schedule management, integration into daily routine and influence on behaviour were used to determine engagement, while the usability was assessed for functionality and ease of use of features.

Results: Total sleep time (P = .04), ability to fall asleep (P < .001), quality of sleep (P = .001), insomnia (P = .02), sleep hygiene (P = .01), sleep-related impairments (P = .001), anxiety (P = .001), and stress (P = .006) were all improved, with non-significant improvements in recovery on days off (P = .19) and depression (P = .07). All measures of engagement and usability were scored positively by the majority of users.

Conclusions: This pilot trial provides preliminary evidence of the positive impact of the SleepSync app in improving sleep and mood outcomes in shift workers, and warrants confirmation in a larger controlled trial.

Keywords: SleepSync; mHealth app; nurses; shift work; shift work disorder; sleep–wake management.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Pre- and post-app use scores for total sleep time, ability to fall asleep, quality of sleep and recovery. Grey bars represent mean scores taken at onboarding, prior to app use; Black bars represent mean scores at end of trial, after two weeks of app use; and error bars represent the standard error of the mean.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mood and sleep-related impairment measures. Grey bars represent mean scores taken at onboarding, prior to app use; black bars represent mean scores at end of trial, after two weeks of app use; and error bars represent the standard error of the mean. *Wilcoxon signed-rank test used to compare whether mean values differed significantly.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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