Insomnia: NICE recommends digital app as treatment option

GPs should consider offering patients with insomnia the Sleepio app as an effective and cost saving alternative to sleeping pills, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended.1

The app will also reduce patients’ reliance on drugs such as zolpidem and zopiclone that can be dependence forming, said NICE’s medical technologies advisory committee.

The Sleepio app uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to provide tailored cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). It is primarily accessed through a website, and there is a Sleepio app for IOS mobile and Android devices.

The current recommended care pathway for people with poor sleep is …