Abstract
Objective: Digital sleep interventions offer scalable early mental health support for youth. This study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary impact of Sleep Ninja, a self-guided Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) app, on insomnia and depression symptoms among adolescents in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Method: Participants aged 16–18 (n = 47, 11% Māori, n = 5) with a self-reported desire to improve sleep were recruited via social media and snowball sampling. Users engaged with the app for 30 days. Online assessments of insomnia, depression, and well-being occurred at baseline, post-intervention (30 days), and follow-up (90 days). App acceptability and feasibility were explored via the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) and qualitative interviews (n = 7).
Results: Quantitative results showed high app acceptability (uMARS) and feasibility, with participants engaging for an average of 17 days. Significant improvements in insomnia and depression symptoms and well-being were observed at 30 days, with some effects sustained at 90 days. Qualitative interviews further supported acceptability; participants emphasised the importance of cultural relevance and suggested incorporating Te Reo Māori to enhance engagement.
Conclusions: Sleep Ninja is acceptable to adolescents in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Preliminary results suggest improvements in insomnia, depression, and well-being, supporting further evaluation in a larger trial.