Using the ACT matrix to improve sleep: A practical guide for implementing the "what" and the "how" of sleep hygiene

Abstract

Insufficient sleep duration and quality among adults is a growing public health concern. While cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is effective in treating clinical levels of sleep difficulty, intervention for subclinical sleep difficulty has been lacking. The "What" and the "How" of Sleep Hygiene is an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based (ACT) psychoeducation group focused on improving sleep hygiene and supporting long term behaviour change. The group involved 8 sessions, each focused on a different aspect of sleep hygiene throughout the day (e.g., morning routine). Three behaviour change principles and the well-established ACT tool, the Matrix, were central to the intervention designed to help implement sleep hygiene. The session summaries are intended to provide clinicians with a practical guide for implementation.