Comparative Effectiveness of Three Lucid Dreaming and Sleep Hygiene Techniques

Anxiety Clinical Trial

Official title:

Comparative Effectiveness of Three Lucid Dreaming and Sleep Hygiene Techniques to Reduce Stress in Graduate Students on Clinical Internship

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03913988
• Other study ID #: AAAS3098
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: June 1, 2019
• Est. completion date: September 21, 2019

Study information

• Verified date: November 2019
• Source: Columbia University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

In this study, the investigators will compare traditional lucid dream induction techniques, stress reduction strategies, and sleep hygiene across three study groups: (1) lucid dream and stress reduction techniques, and sleep hygiene; (2) lucid dream reduction and sleep hygiene; and (3) sleep hygiene. Participants will be first-year occupational therapy students embarking upon their first full-time 3-month clinical internship. Enrolled participants will be randomized to one of the three groups. The intervention will span 12 weeks and allow for participants to learn about and practice lucid dream induction, stress management, and sleep hygiene in bi-monthly online group sessions and through daily home exercises.

Description:

A significant impediment to completing academic health care programs is student stress level, which have been reported to be increasing in the last decade. Many students are not prepared for the rigor and intensity of their first clinical internship and experience exacerbations of stress and anxiety at this time. There is evidence that lucid dream induction methods have effectively alleviated stress and anxiety in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression in community dwelling adults. Although lucid dream techniques have been used to manage anxiety in some populations, it has never been used to help health care students on clinical internship experiencing heightened stress levels. In this study, the investigators aim to determine whether lucid dream induction techniques combined with stress management and sleep hygiene could effectively help students on their first clinical internship to better manage stress and anxiety. The investigators hope to gain a greater understanding of which of three study conditions can best alleviate stress and anxiety in participants.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 28
• Est. completion date: September 21, 2019
• Est. primary completion date: September 21, 2019
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 21 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Current occupational therapy student attending Columbia University and participating in clinical internship

Exclusion Criteria:

• none

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anxiety

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Lucid Dream
Lucid dream techniques are a set of strategies to induce the ability to obtain conscious awareness during the dream state and include mental suggestions before sleep.
• Stress Reduction
Stress reduction techniques are a set of strategies designed to reduce anxiety and include meditation and guided imagery.
• Sleep Hygiene Techniques
Sleep hygiene is a set of techniques intended to enhance sleep quality and quantity and include maintaining consistent sleep-wake times and avoiding stimulating activities before bed.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Columbia University	New York	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Columbia University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Perceived Stress Scale	The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a 10-item, 6-point, self-report Likert scale (0 = no stress, 5 = high stress) that requires 5 minutes to complete. The scale yields a total score ranging from 0 (no stress) to 50 (highest stress) with scores 25+ indicating a possible stress disorder. The PSS measures stress level in the last month and was intended for use by community-dwelling adults.	Week 12
Secondary	Lucidity and Consciousness Dream Scale	The Lucidity and Consciousness Dream Scale (LuCiD) is a 28-item, 6-point self-report Likert scale (0 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) that requires 10 minutes to complete. The scale yields a total score ranging from 0 (no experience of lucid dreaming) to 140 (highest experience of lucid dreaming) with scores 70+ indicating moderate to high lucid dream activity.	Week 12