Lay summary
Sleep generally, and especially for young people, has not yet received adequate research attention. In NZ, 39% of young people sleep less than recommended for their age, with 57% reporting poor quality sleep. Poor sleep and mental health are inextricably linked. The importance of adequate sleep may be minimised in the community. Moreover, sleep is an important target for improving wellbeing, as insufficient sleep not only contributes to poor outcomes in all aspects of physical health but contributes to all psychiatric conditions as well.
The Sleep Ninja app has been designed by researchers and young people and specifically targets symptoms of insomnia via cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). A pilot study of the Sleep Ninja App in Aotearoa is currently underway, and the next crucial step to getting Sleep Ninja into the hands of young people is a randomised controlled trial.