Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Insomnia is a complex disorder with different subtypes. One important aspect influencing insomnia subtypes is sleep length, a phenomenon bound to have implications for sleep depth and frequent co-occurrence of depression. Low levels of deep sleep are common in both insomnia and depression. Treating co-occurring sleep problems can help to better manage depression. Studies show that sound stimulations presented during the ascending part of slow waves produced by the brain may enhance certain elements of deep sleep, with encouraging observations of improved sleep in people with insomnia. Deep sleep enhancement via sound stimulation thus represents a promising treatment for insomnia and depression. This study aims to: i) assess the impact of sound stimulation targeting deep sleep on symptoms of insomnia and mood; and iii) identify potential factors that may forecast better response to sound stimulations. All participants will go through one week of active and sham stimulations in a counterbalanced order. Sound stimulations will be delivered by a portable EEG monitor. In the sham condition, the stimulation function will be de-activated. Brain activity, insomnia and depressive symptoms will be assessed before, during and after each intervention arm.