Self Help Program for Hypnotics Withdrawal in Insomniac Patients (PROPERSOM)

Self-help Program for Hypnotics Withdrawal in Chronic Insomniac Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Persistent insomnia has a high prevalence in French general population affecting between 15.8 % and 19 % of adults. In France, the disease is mainly managed by general practitioners (GP) who usually proposed intermediate half-life benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in first-line treatment. French Health authorities recommend restricting the consumption of both hypnotics to no more than 4 weeks, considering their potential adverse effects (memory impairment, altered sleep physiology, motor-vehicle crash), and the risk of tolerance and dependence. However, it appears that a majority of patients become chronic users. Therefore, discontinuation of benzodiazepines/Z-drugs is recommended, but it may appear as a challenge due to withdrawal symptoms and psychological factors (anticipatory anxiety, fear of rebound insomnia).

Numerous studies have shown that programs based on Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles improve sleep and daily life quality leading to hypnotic taper and maintain of hypnotic abstinence in insomniac patients. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is based on 4 components: sleep restriction, stimulus control, cognitive therapy and sleep hygiene education. This therapy is dependent on a therapeutic alliance between practitioner and patient. Unfortunately, there are an insufficient number of trained CBT experts especially in France.

The implementation of an internet-delivered self-help program based on time-in-bed restriction and stimulus control may be an issue within the context of general practice.

Online programs based on CBT principles have been proved to be effective in improving the sleep and daytime functioning in this population, but the studies were realized in small patients groups.

Investigators hypothesis is that a simple and internet-delivered short-term program based on sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control (following to a GP consultation) may facilitate hypnotics discontinuation (benzodiazepines/Z-drugs) in patient with insomnia disorder still reporting sleep complaints in comparison with a tapering alone (no access to the self-help program).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Insomnia
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Standardized gradual hypnotic taper; Behavioral: Short-term simple self-help program

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 62
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Bordeaux, France, 33076
    • CHU de Bordeaux
  • Garches, France, 92380
    • APHP Hôpital Raymond Poincaré
  • Lille, France, 59037
    • CHRU de Lille
  • Montpellier, France, 34295
    • CHU de Montpellier
  • Paris, France, 75013
    • AP-HP Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere
  • Paris, France, 75181
    • APHP Hôtel-Dieu de Paris

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient complaining of persistent insomnia without co-morbidities (DSM-5) and treated for at least 3 months with monotherapy of:
• Zopiclone or Zolpidem with usual doses (3.5 doses per week at least to a maximum of 14 per week) OR Intermediate half-life benzodiazepines included in the appendix 1 list with usual doses (3.5 doses per week at least to a maximum of 14 per week)
• Motivated to stop hypnotic treatment (score >5 on a 1 to 10 degrees VAS)
• 18 to 75 years old,
• Man or woman,
• Having an internet connection,
• Affiliated to a national health service,
• Having given written informed consent to participate in the trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient with 2 psychotropic drugs or more taken daily for insomnia complaints (antidepressant, anxiolytic and antihistamine treatments will be allowed if they are prescribed for a stabilized mood and/or anxiety disorder).
• Patient not believing in short-term simple self-help program
• Insomnia with comorbidities other than a stabilized mood and/or anxiety disorder
• Night and shift-workers,
• Current Psychiatric disorder : mood disorder (depression, bipolar disorder) with a BDI score > 19, anxiety disorder, psychosis
• All sleep disorders other than persistent insomnia (clinical interview),
• Progressive neurological diseases that include restless legs syndrome,
• Unstable Cardiovascular disease,
• Unstable respiratory or endocrinological diseases (clinical interview),
• Drug addiction, alcohol addiction during the previous 6 months (clinical interview),
• Having undertaken trans-meridian travel (± 3H) in the previous 1 month
• Pregnant or lactating woman,
• Current participation in psychotherapy.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Standardized hypnotic taper and self-help program	Other: Standardized gradual hypnotic taper; The gradual hypnotic taper is standardized and is adjusted depending on the hypnotic treatment and the initial weekly dose. The practitioner will give to the patient a calendar for the taper period with the specific dose for each day (name of hypnotic, quantity and dose of pills).; Behavioral: Short-term simple self-help program; The short-term simple self-help program consists in: Restriction of time in bed; Stimulus control instructions The restriction of time in bed would be delivered by an e-health tool (web site). The patient will have to connect to the web site with an individual connexion password. He will connect every day to complete an on-line sleep diary during the period of the simple short-term behavioural program (5 weeks). After this period, patients will have the choice to continue connecting to the website and using the program or to stop using the program.
Active Comparator: Standardized hypnotic taper only	Other: Standardized gradual hypnotic taper; The gradual hypnotic taper is standardized and is adjusted depending on the hypnotic treatment and the initial weekly dose. The practitioner will give to the patient a calendar for the taper period with the specific dose for each day (name of hypnotic, quantity and dose of pills).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Urinary hypnotics screening assessed during Visit 2	Urine will be frozen and afterwards analysed by a central laboratory (Unité de biologie médicale multidisciplinaire, CHU Bordeaux) for hypnotics (benzodiazepines and Z-drugs) using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.	7 weeks after randomization visit

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Urinary hypnotics screening assessed during Visit 3	Urine will be frozen and afterwards analysed by a central laboratory (Unité de biologie médicale multidisciplinaire, CHU Bordeaux) for hypnotics (benzodiazepines and Z-drugs) using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.	17 weeks after randomization visit
Total sleep time obtained by actimetry		During 10 nights before Visit 2 wich is scheduled 7 weeks after randomization visit
Sleep efficiency obtained by actimetry		During 10 nights before Visit 2 wich is scheduled 7 weeks after randomization visit
Wake after sleep onset obtained by actimetry		During 10 nights before Visit 2 wich is scheduled 7 weeks after randomization visit
Sleep latency obtained by actimetry		During 10 nights before Visit 2 wich is scheduled 7 weeks after randomization visit
Total sleep time obtained by sleep diary		Every night between Pre-Inclusion visit (Visit 0) and Week 5 after Visit 1
Sleep efficiency obtained by sleep diary		Every night between Pre-Inclusion visit (Visit 0) and Week 5 after Visit 1
Wake after sleep onset obtained by sleep diary		Every night between Pre-Inclusion visit (Visit 0) and Week 5 after Visit 1
Sleep latency obtained by sleep diary		Every night between Pre-Inclusion visit (Visit 0) and Week 5 after Visit 1
Insomnia Severity Scale (ISI) score		Pre-inclusion visit (between 21 to 10 days before randomization), randomization visit (Visit 1) ,7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2) and 17 weeks after randomization (Visit 3)
Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ) score		7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2) and 17 weeks after randomization (Visit 3)
Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition (BDI-II) score		Pre-inclusion visit (between 21 to 10 days before randomization), randomization visit (Visit 1) ,7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2) and 17 weeks after randomization (Visit 3)
Beck anxiety Inventory (BAI) score		Pre-inclusion visit (between 21 to 10 days before randomization), randomization visit (Visit 1) ,7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2) and 17 weeks after randomization (Visit 3)
Short-Form SF-36 Health Survey score		Pre-inclusion visit (between 21 to 10 days before randomization), randomization visit (Visit 1) ,7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2) and 17 weeks after randomization (Visit 3)
Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptoms Questionnaire (BWSQ) score		7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2) and 17 weeks after randomization (Visit 3)
Self-efficiency visual analog scale score		Pre-inclusion visit (between 21 to 10 days before randomization), randomization visit (Visit 1) and 7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2)
Reasons for non-compliance obtained during patient interview		7 weeks after randomization (Visit 2) and 17 weeks after randomization (Visit 3)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Bordeaux
• Investigators: Study Chair: Antoine BENARD, MD-PhD, USMR - CHU de Bordeaux

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 4, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 25, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): November 25, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 10, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 21, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): March 28, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 11, 2026
• Last Verified: December 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Sleep restriction; Hypnotics withdrawal in insomniac patients; Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT); Internet-delivered self-help program; Stimulus control; Half-life benzodiazepine; Z-drug
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Central Nervous System Depressants; Hypnotics and Sedatives
• Other Study ID Numbers: CHUBX 2014/35; 2015-000691-94 (EudraCT Number)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Patient could request investigator an access to IPD according to French regulation (act No. 78-17 of 6 January 1978 on data processing, data files and individual liberties, amended by act No. 2004-801 of 6 August 2004).