NCT03913988

Comparative Effectiveness of Three Lucid Dreaming and Sleep Hygiene Techniques

Comparative Effectiveness of Three Lucid Dreaming and Sleep Hygiene Techniques to Reduce Stress in Graduate Students on Clinical Internship

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 28 (actual)
• Sponsor: Columbia University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

In this study, the investigators will compare traditional lucid dream induction techniques, stress reduction strategies, and sleep hygiene across three study groups: (1) lucid dream and stress reduction techniques, and sleep hygiene; (2) lucid dream reduction and sleep hygiene; and (3) sleep hygiene. Participants will be first-year occupational therapy students embarking upon their first full-time 3-month clinical internship. Enrolled participants will be randomized to one of the three groups. The intervention will span 12 weeks and allow for participants to learn about and practice lucid dream induction, stress management, and sleep hygiene in bi-monthly online group sessions and through daily home exercises.

Detailed description

A significant impediment to completing academic health care programs is student stress level, which have been reported to be increasing in the last decade. Many students are not prepared for the rigor and intensity of their first clinical internship and experience exacerbations of stress and anxiety at this time. There is evidence that lucid dream induction methods have effectively alleviated stress and anxiety in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression in community dwelling adults. Although lucid dream techniques have been used to manage anxiety in some populations, it has never been used to help health care students on clinical internship experiencing heightened stress levels. In this study, the investigators aim to determine whether lucid dream induction techniques combined with stress management and sleep hygiene could effectively help students on their first clinical internship to better manage stress and anxiety. The investigators hope to gain a greater understanding of which of three study conditions can best alleviate stress and anxiety in participants.

Conditions

• Anxiety

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Lucid Dream	Lucid dream techniques are a set of strategies to induce the ability to obtain conscious awareness during the dream state and include mental suggestions before sleep.
BEHAVIORAL	Stress Reduction	Stress reduction techniques are a set of strategies designed to reduce anxiety and include meditation and guided imagery.
BEHAVIORAL	Sleep Hygiene Techniques	Sleep hygiene is a set of techniques intended to enhance sleep quality and quantity and include maintaining consistent sleep-wake times and avoiding stimulating activities before bed.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-06-01
• Primary completion: 2019-09-21
• Completion: 2019-09-21
• First posted: 2019-04-12
• Last updated: 2019-11-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States