The Ultimate Guide to Sleepstation for Insomnia

Millions of people struggle to fall and stay asleep at night, with the CDC reporting that 1 in 3 adults aren’t getting the recommended amount of sleep each night. Even after dozing off, most people experience poor sleep quality. Waking up frequently throughout the night and struggling to go back to sleep are common among those with insomnia.

Lack of adequate sleep and long-term sleep deprivation can cause a myriad of health issues and complications including trouble with memory and focus, weight gain, heart issues, and mood swings. There are countless programs available that promise to ease or even cure you of your insomnia, but how do you know which one is best and if it really works?

We’re here to provide an in-depth look at one such program – Sleepstation – so you can make an informed decision about your insomnia treatment plan. Keep reading to learn more about this sleep therapy program and what it offers including the cost, materials, and expectations.

What is Sleepstation?

Sleepstation is a sleep improvement program created by Dr. Neil Stanley and Professor Joe McDonalds of Born Digital Health. The program uses proven psychological methods alongside personalized support and guidance to help users sleep better without medication. Born Digital Health is trying to shape the future of digital health by offering a convenient, at-home treatment option for insomnia. They promote fast, effective, reliable, and accessible services.

The developers at Born Digital Health created Sleepstation as an online alternative to the same in-person insomnia treatment patients receive at sleep clinics. Many of these treatment plans are designed around cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) and Sleepstation is no different. The goal is to cut down on in-person waiting times, travel costs, and inconvenient office visits. Sleepstation was soon recognized by NHS (United Kingdom National Health Service) commissioners. Now, users can purchase Sleepstation through the NHS or apply for free access.

Sleepstation Cost and Accessibility

One advantage of using Sleepstation is that the app is free to download through the NHS in some areas of England. Non-NHS members or those outside the NHS access area will need to pay for Sleepstation privately. Be sure to check your specific area’s postal code for more coverage information. It’s also recommended you check for all recent updates or changes to the criteria and eligibility for accessing Sleepstation for free through the NHS.

For those living in the UK, there are several pricing and package options to choose from – each with its own tools, services, and timelines. The basic package is considered “lite” and progresses from there to “essential” and then “plus”. With each level, you unlock new features and extend the duration of your access to the program’s resources and support.

If you’re just starting and want to learn more about the Sleepstation program and exactly how it can help, you can pay £95 for a week-long trial period that includes a sleep assessment and review. You’ll also have access to a sleep coach and the program’s sleep diary during this time. After the one-week trial is finished, your coach will determine if you need the complete online therapy course. Most participants are encouraged to take this path.

Upgrading to the full, or “essential”, program will cost you an additional £200. This payment grants you access to most of Sleepstation’s resources including a 7-week course, videos, a progress tracker, and 2 more weeks of support, totaling 9 weeks in all. If you want continued support for up to 6 months and 45-minute personal consultation, it’ll cost you another £190 for a grand total of £485 for the “plus” package.

Sleepstation has limited availability outside the UK with much fewer options in terms of pricing and packages. Currently, Sleepstation offers a basic package for $149. This gives users outside of the UK access to a detailed sleep assessment, sleep tracker, advice from sleep coaches, and other online tools. These resources are only available for 7 days. This package is similar to the “lite” UK package priced at £95. If you want continued support beyond the initial week, you’ll need to upgrade your package for an additional cost.

According to their website, Sleepstation is accessible on most digital devices and screen sizes with a stable internet connection and access to a browser. Users may find that the website works better on one browser than another, so you may need to experiment with this. Keeping your browser up to date is also helpful for both security reasons and website functionality. On Apple products, Safari, Chrome, and Firefox work best. Android users need to use Chrome for the best results. Patients accessing Sleepstation on a computer using Windows will have the best experience using the default browser, Edge.

How Does Sleepstation Work?

Sleepstation focuses on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i) as an effective treatment for even the most severe insomnia cases. The program is designed to help users fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and achieve better quality sleep. Sleepstation experts report some users seeing results after just four sessions. The program is designed by sleep experts and backed by science. The team of doctors, experts, and coaches helps patients find the underlying cause of their sleep problems and then provides the appropriate support and guidance. Sleepstation prides itself on delivering quality remote care with a personal touch.

After downloading the app or accessing the website, users are asked to pay the initial £95 which unlocks certain features for one week. You then need to create an account and log in before answering a series of questions as part of the program’s sleep assessment. Your answers are then reviewed in detail and used to create a personalized report with advice about the next step. You’ll also enter your sleep habits and patterns into a daily journal to help the sleep experts understand your needs and issues in detail. During this time you’ll have access to a sleep coach via the chat feature. Following the sleep review, most patients are encouraged to progress to the therapy stage of the program. If it’s determined that you’re not a good candidate for Sleepstation, the team of experts will provide an explanation as to why and recommendations for other services.

The full program offers an interactive, personalized experience with support and guidance from a team of sleep coaches and experts. The program starts by building on basic sleep improvement principles with personalized modules tailored to your individual needs, issues, and lifestyle. In the end, users regain their confidence and ability to achieve quality sleep. 

If you agree to move forward, you’ll pay £200 to begin the Sleepstation program and unlock the remaining features including your personalized sleep plan. This plan is designed to address the specific issues highlighted by your sleep review and assessment. The insomnia course runs for approximately 7 weeks with another 2 weeks of additional guidance to plan for future success. 

The goal is to improve your sleep quality within the first three weeks. You’ll continue entering information into the sleep diary to track your progress and pinpoint which techniques work best. When you enter a particular behavior or pattern of behaviors, the program recognizes these changes and will adjust the program accordingly. This creates a personalized, fluid program that adjusts to your changing needs.

The next two weeks of the program focus on increasing the amount of sleep you get while still aligning with your personal goals and needs. Here you’ll learn more about sleep and how to control it. The support team will offer weekly checkups and are always available to answer questions throughout treatment. 

The final two weeks of the Sleepstation program focus on maintaining quality sleep and healthy sleep patterns. You and your sleep coach will review your progress and formulate a plan for the future. At this point, most people feel confident about controlling their sleep and are more in control of their sleep quality and overall health.

Evidence that Sleepstation Works

Because Sleepstation focuses primarily on CBT-i, much of the evidence of its success surrounds the benefits and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Sleepstation developers conducted and published a review of the program in 2014. Results showed that Sleepstation produced large improvements in overall sleep efficiency. Participants also exhibited clear improvements in sleep latency (how long it takes a person to fall asleep). There were also modest improvements in total overall sleep duration.

Sleepstation also has a good completion rate, with 87% of registered users successfully completing the program. Another 47% of individuals who started the program while facing both insomnia and depression were no longer depressed after completing the program.

Am I a Good Candidate for Sleepstation?

Sleepstation can help individuals suffering from all levels of insomnia – from mild or acute insomnia to severe, chronic conditions. It’s not recommended for individuals under the age of 18 or those currently undergoing CBT with other providers. Sleepstation may not be an effective method for anyone currently seeing a psychiatrist for a mental health disorder including mania, bipolar, schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia, generalized anxiety disorder, or other personality disorders. If you have a history of PTSD, seizures, psychosis or psychotic episodes, speak to your healthcare provider before signing up for Sleepstation. In most cases, these conditions should be addressed and treated before insomnia treatment begins.

All users will also need regular, reliable access to the internet as Sleepstation is accessed completely online.

Pros and Cons of Sleepstation

All treatment programs, whether online or in-person, have pros and cons. While some features might work well for you, others may not accommodate your lifestyle or schedule. Here are a few pros and cons to consider before signing up for Sleepstation’s complete program.

Pros

• One week of “lite” access to most features including live chat, sleep diary, and in-depth sleep review
• A personalized plan that changes based on the information entered into your sleep diary
• Sleepstation is supported by a team of sleep experts, therapists, and coaches
• The full program is available for free through NHS in some parts of England
• The cost of the full program is comparable to other, similar online therapy programs

Cons

• The program doesn’t offer alternative therapy options to CBT-i (no meditation, mindfulness, ACT-i, etc.)
• The initial sign-up fee for the first week is nearly ⅓ the cost of the full version
• Some communication via the chat seems auto-generated and not personalized
• Heavy emphasis on sleep restriction which isn’t reasonable for some users
• Slow loading time for instructional videos

Sleepstation vs. Somnus Therapy

Now that you have a clear picture of what Sleepstation is and what it offers users, let’s compare it to another popular online sleep therapy program, Somnus Therapy. Here we’ll discuss the cost, resources, and techniques offered by both programs so you can determine which approach best fits your needs.

Cost

When choosing the right sleep therapy program for your needs, most people question the price first. You want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.

Sleepstation’s one-week “trial” costs £95 and unlocks only a few key features like the program’s sleep diary, access to a sleep coach, and a sleep assessment and review. If you decide to sign up for the full program, it’ll cost you another £200. This price includes a personalized program based on your sleep assessment results, access to even more therapists, coaches, and experts, and a series of videos that span an average of 9 weeks. 

Somnus Therapy offers access to the entire program and all of its features for a single, one-time payment of $49 in the US and £49 in the UK. This includes over 50 core CBT-i sessions, nearly 5 times the number of videos offered by Sleepstation, along with CBT-i masterclasses from specialist teachers, 100 guided meditation sessions, and soothing sleep sounds.

Somnus Therapy also offers a unique, money-back guarantee. If you don’t see an improvement in your sleep quality after completing the program and trying all of the techniques and suggestions, Somnus will refund all of your money. 

Program Resources and Techniques

As previously mentioned, Sleepstation focuses primarily on CBT-i for treating insomnia. This involves changing and challenging your thoughts and beliefs about sleep as well as utilizing techniques like sleep restriction. The program itself doesn’t offer many more resources in terms of education or information outside of the videos and chat feature.

Somnus Therapy takes a more well-rounded approach to treating insomnia by utilizing several different techniques, including CBT-i. The program offers knowledge, techniques, and strategies to promote continued, long-term success. The guided meditation sessions are created by sleep specialists and certified teachers and are designed to calm racing thoughts and reduce negative thoughts. Through the use of CBT-i, meditation, mindfulness, ACT-i (acceptance and commitment therapy), and education, Somnus will help you understand and accept your insomnia while also building new, more productive sleep patterns. 

Support and Community

Sleepstation offers support through its messaging area. Here, you can discuss everything from your sleep troubles to other things causing you stress or anxiety. Some users reported that while conversations with their sleep coach started out personalized and helpful, over time, some of the responses seemed auto-generated and not as targeted to their specific needs. Communication in the Sleepstation program also weighs heavily on your sleep diary entries. The program responds to these entries and sleep experts use this information to craft a personalized plan. 

Somnus Therapy also offers support via a personal online sleep coach who is available to offer advice and answer your questions throughout the program and even after the program has been completed.

Final Thoughts

With so many online sleep therapy programs now available, it can be confusing and difficult to choose the best one. Most of them offer similar tools and techniques but with some significant differences like the level of support, numerous resources, alternative therapies, and cost.

While the full version of Sleepstation offers a personalized approach to treating your insomnia at home, the one-week trial period will still cost you £95 and offers limited resources. After completing this one-week assessment, most users are referred to the extended program anyway, which can cause some frustration if you don’t understand how the program is designed. Sleepstation, though free for some NHS members, is limited to users in the UK.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive approach to insomnia treatment that uses a variety of techniques and types of therapy, look no further than Somnus Therapy. Through a combination of CBT-i, ACT-i, mindfulness, and meditation, you’ll learn to challenge and change negative thoughts and adopt healthier behaviors in all aspects of your life.

Click here to start your journey today.