Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of REST has been to improve the sleep quality and sleep duration of post-9/11 veterans seeking college degrees. Preliminary research findings within CSU’s New Start for Student Veterans program indicate veterans, especially those with service-related injuries, report difficulties with sleep quality and duration. REST includes a multicomponent sleep improvement program using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) which is considered best practice for addressing sleep problems associated with chronic insomnia.
Our scientific objectives were to establish the efficacy of a combined group-based and one-on-one-based sleep education and sleep-skills intervention to improve sleep quality and duration, and to advance understanding of relationships between sleep-related knowledge and behaviors associated with improved sleep quality and duration in veterans with service-related injuries in college. Results from our pilot, clinical trial, and related studies indicate CBT-I delivered by occupational therapists with advanced clinical training in CBT-I improves veterans sleep quality, mental health, and wellbeing – See our published work here.
REST was delivered by occupational therapists with advanced training in CBT-I as a component of the New Start for Student Veterans program housed in CSU’s Department of Occupational Therapy. For more information, or if you are a Veteran in college and wish to be considered for sleep improvement services please visit the Department of Occupational Therapy’s Sleep Services website.