One online session could help cancer survivors sleep better
NCT ID NCT05519982
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a single online education session can help cancer survivors with insomnia sleep better. 70 survivors took part, learning either behavioral changes to improve sleep or relaxation techniques. The goal was to see if a simple, accessible program could ease insomnia symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Sleep Treatment Education Program (STEP-1) - an online educational intervention teaching behavioral changes to improve sleep
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, accessible way for cancer survivors to improve their sleep without medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 70 participants. The results may not apply to all cancer survivors, and the benefit might be small or short-lived.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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70 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2023
- Finished
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Oct 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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40 to 89 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 40-89 * History of a cancer diagnosis (except non-melanoma skin cancer) ≥ 1 year prior * No active cancer therapy (excluding chemoprevention) in the past four months, and no further therapy planned * Significant insomnia as evidenced by an Insomnia Severity Index score ≥12 * Regular access to the internet on a daily basis * Able to read and write in English Exclusion Criteria: * Survivors who report ever being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. * Survivors who report ever being diagnosed with a Seizure Disorder or have experienced a seizure in the past 12 months. * Intention to adjust (decrease or increase) use of any prescribed or over-the-counter medications taken to decrease insomnia during the study period. * Survivors diagnosed with sleep apnea who have declined treatment or are not adherent with treatment (as assessed by screening questions, see Appendix A). * Survivors with suspected sleep apnea who have not completed an evaluation by a sleep specialist (as assessed by screening questions, see Appendix A). * Usual bedtime does not fall between 5:00 pm and 5:00 am. * Employment that involves irregular sleep patterns, such as shift-work or frequent long-distance travel across time zones, or employment in a position that could impact public safety (such as air traffic-controller, operating heavy machinery) * Any impairment (e.g., hearing, visual, cognitive) that interferes with the ability to complete all study procedures independently. * Prior participation in a research study which provided an educational or behavioral intervention for insomnia. * Prior participation in a behavioral treatment or patient education program for insomnia delivered at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, or at Boston Children's Hospital. * Participation in behavioral or educational interventions for insomnia in the 2 years prior to enrollment. This includes in-person as well as synchronous and asynchronous online insomnia programs, but not independent use of books, workbooks or other written self-help materials addressing insomnia.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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