P009 Sharper Minds Better Sleep: Results from a pilot brief intervention for improving sleep health in young adults

Abstract Introduction The transition to university can be associated with increased stress, poorer mental health and increased risk of sleep problems. This pilot study assessed the effectiveness of a brief, skills building sleep education program (Sharper Minds Better Sleep) designed to increase knowledge about healthy sleep and its relationship to mental health, and to promote healthy sleep behaviours. Method Using a single arm pre-post design, participants completed an electronic sleep diary, a range of standardised sleep related questionnaires and wore an actigraph for 7 days pre-and post- program. The intervention consisted of 4x45 minute online group (6-8 people) learning sessions delivered via Zoom by trained Provisional Psychologists to first year university students in 2022/3. Results 81 students participated in the program (71% female; Mage =21.1, SD = 4.6). Preliminary paired t-tests conducted on available actigraphy data indicate no significant change in sleep duration from pre- to post- program, however sleep regularity [Mpre=75.65, Mpost=82.66, Cohen’s d=-.75], and intradaily variability [Mpre=.81, Mpost=.71, Cohen’s Cohen’s d=.37) significantly improved. Preliminary assessment of questionnaire data revealed significant improvements in scores on the Insomnia Severity Index (Mpre=11.70, Mpost=9.74, Cohen’s d=0.40) and Bedtime Procrastination (Mpre=13, Mpost=11, Cohen’s d=0.38) from pre- to post- program. Discussion The Sharper Minds Better Sleep program has demonstrated benefits in improving sleep health behaviours in young adults. Since sleep is intrinsically linked to a range of wellbeing functions, further analyses of these data will seek to understand the utility of the program as part of a stepped care model.