Self-Help Booklets for Sleep in Adults With Pulmonary Hypertension

The researchers have developed a set of self-help booklets for adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH) who are experiencing sleep problems. The booklets include sleep hygiene advice and are based on a psychological treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).

CBT-I is a structured, evidence-based treatment for ongoing sleep problems. It helps people understand how their thoughts, behaviours, and daily routines can affect their sleep. It aims to improve sleep quality and help people fall asleep more easily and get back to sleep if they wake during the night.

CBT-I is one of the most effective treatments for ongoing sleep problems. The self-help programme consists of four booklets, which participants will work through at home over four weeks, completing one booklet each week in their own time. The aim of the study is to find out whether the self-help booklets improve sleep quality in people with pulmonary hypertension.

Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires about their sleep and mental wellbeing, including symptoms of anxiety and depression. Participants will then be randomly allocated to one of two groups. The intervention group will receive the self-help booklets during the study. The wait-list group will receive the booklets at a later date if they are found to be helpful. Having two groups allows the researchers to compare the results and determine whether any improvements in sleep are due to the self-help booklets.

Participants in the intervention group will also be contacted during the programme to ask about their experiences of using the booklets. Both groups will complete the questionnaires again after four weeks and then again one month later. Participants in the intervention group will also be contacted at the end of the study to discuss their experiences of taking part.