The ASLEEP Intervention for Insomnia Symptoms in Mid-Life and Older Adults supported by the PROTECT Norge Platform: Single-Arm, Multimethod Feasibility and Acceptability Study

Background Sleep is essential for health, yet a large proportion of the population reports sleep complaints. The ASLEEP (Preventing and Treating Insomnia Symptoms in Mid-Life and Older Adults) intervention is conceptualized as an eCBT-I (digitally delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) intervention aiming to prevent and treat insomnia in individuals aged 50 years and over through a novel, tiered approach. The first step, a basic course delivered via iPad through a dedicated app, includes educational videos grounded in sleep education and sleep hygiene advice, a 7-day digital sleep diary, and a postcourse digital sleep report providing personalized feedback on sleep efficiency via email. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the ASLEEP basic course among adults aged 50 years and over, including participant engagement, acceptability of the course content, and delivery of study activities, through PROTECT Norge (Platform for Research Online to Investigate Genetics and Cognition in Ageing Norge), an online research infrastructure. Methods A single-arm multimethod feasibility and acceptability study was conducted as a nested study within PROTECT Norge. Data comprised preintervention questionnaires on sleep and mental health, intervention compliance tracking, and 2 postintervention focus group interviews. Questionnaire and compliance data were analyzed descriptively, and focus group data were analyzed using systematic text condensation. Results Of 150 invited individuals, 18 expressed interest. Ten participants were included in the study, all of whom completed the intervention and subsequently took part in 2 focus group interviews, with 5 participants in each group. Participants included 6 women and 4 men aged 54 to 78 years. Preintervention data showed that 7 participants reported subthreshold insomnia and 3 reported no insomnia. Sleep diary compliance during the ASLEEP basic course was 99.3%. The systematic text condensation analysis revealed three main categories: (1) motivation for participation in the ASLEEP study, (2) benefits of the ASLEEP intervention, and (3) promoting and hindering factors of delivering a fully digitalized intervention. Conclusions The ASLEEP basic course was well-received and provided participants with a new understanding of sleep through increased knowledge and awareness. Technological insecurity was experienced by some of the participants, but it was mitigated by technical support. Improving app stability and expanding device compatibility could enhance accessibility and optimize ASLEEP’s future delivery. The PROTECT Norge platform demonstrated good feasibility in recruitment, participant management, and compliance monitoring, supporting the successful delivery of the study.