Assessing the Effects of the Muse Sleep Intervention on Sleep (MuseSleep)

April 27, 2021 updated by: Western University, Canada
In this study, we will examine whether use of the Sleep Intervention protocol marketed by Interaxon (the 'Muse'), leads to improvements in sleep quality (e.g. decreased latency to sleep, improved sleep duration), as well as knock-on improvements on measures of mindfulness, improvement in quality of life scores, reduction in perceived stress levels, anxiety, improvements in cognitive performance, improvement in markers relevant for safety, and increased success in the workplace in healthy participants.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

We all sleep, hopefully, every single day. Regular and sufficient sleep helps maintain numerous aspects of physical and mental health, but countless ordinary life circumstances, such as parenthood, demanding professions, studying, illness, or lifestyle choices often prevent people from getting a full night's sleep. In fact, in a recent US health survey of approximately 250000 people, 29.2% of respondents reported getting less than an average of 6 hours of sleep per night. Individuals who sleep this little on a day-to-day basis are considered to be experiencing chronic partial sleep deprivation (SD) (also known as sleep restriction), which, in a laboratory setting, has been associated with impaired physiological and cognitive functioning. It has been estimated that the productivity lost annually due to chronic partial SD costs an estimated $21.4 billion in Canada alone.

Interaxon markets a non-invasive head-worn device EEG biofeedback device ('Muse') to encourage and aid effective meditation and sleep. This device has been previously shown to improve workplace wellness, fatigue and quality of life, and performance on Stroop Task. It has also been shown to improve physiological markers associated with improved relaxation and cognition. Muse has been shown to have EEG signal comparable to a clinical grade EEG.

What is not known, is whether use of the Muse device can actually improve sleep quality and if so, in what ways. Thus far, some reports have suggested that the Muse Meditation device can improve relaxation, but a comprehensive evaluation of sleep has not been undertaken in a relatively large sample of healthy volunteers.

In this study, we will examine whether use of the Muse Sleep Intervention by healthy participants, leads to improvements in sleep quality (e.g. decreased latency to sleep, improved sleep duration), as well as knock-on improvements on measures of mindfulness, improvement in quality of life scores, reduction in perceived stress levels, anxiety, improvements in cognitive performance, improvement in markers relevant for safety, and increased success in the workplace. We will examine whether these changes are associated with changes in heart rhythm as measured by the Muse on board PPG sensor.

360 participants working in a large engineering firm, Hatch, will use the Muse Sleep Intervention to meditate before sleep over the course of 6 weeks.

The participants will be randomly divided into 4 groups with 90 participants in each group (see below).

Group 1 will use the Muse Sleep Intervention system with no coaching.

Group 2 will use the Muse Sleep Intervention system with digital coaching.

Group 3 will use the Muse Sleep Intervention system with digital coaching and additional human group online coaching.

Group 4 will be a control group and will not use any of the Muse meditation systems.

On day 1 of the Study, all participants will complete the Cambridge Brain Sciences online cognitive assessment battery, plus a longer questionnaire about stress levels, workplace wellness, quality of life, mindfulness and sleep quality. They will then begin the 6-week study according to their following Group assignments:

Group 1: Sleep Intervention System - No Coaching Participants will join a 1.5-hour virtual onboarding session where they will be trained on how to use the Muse S device and will complete their first Muse session. Participants will be asked to use either the Muse Mind Meditation, Muse Sleep Journeys, Go to Sleep Soundscapes or Go to Sleep Guidance each evening as part of their bedtime routine to help them prepare to sleep. In addition, participants may use any part of the Muse App (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations), as often as they like to help them fall asleep, go back to sleep, or as a meditation practice during the daytime. All Participants will also be asked to do the Muse Mind meditation for a minimum of 5 minutes per day, a minimum of 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. If they also wish to use the Muse system more frequently (day or night), they will be encouraged to do so and will be able to choose between several styles of available meditation (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations). Participants will be asked to also wear their Muse device while they sleep, as often as they like in order to track their sleep. Participants will have unlimited access to Muse Customer Care via phone, email, and video where appropriate during normal business hours.

Group 2: Sleep Intervention System - Plus Digital Coaching The procedure will be identical to Group 1 above, but in addition, all participants will also work through the content in the Muse S Sleep Coaching course, and implement the sleep hygiene and habit changes recommended through the course that they find reasonable and effective for their situation.

Group 3: Sleep Intervention System - Plus Digital Coaching plus Human Coaching. The procedure will be identical to Group 2 above, but in addition, all participants will be asked to join regular online coaching sessions. Participants will be divided into 9 cohorts of 10 people per cohort. Each cohort will be offered group coaching once per week. Coaches will be versed in Mindfulness, and how to use Muse and how to support sleep. Coaching will take place virtually using Interaxon's Zoom account.

Group 4: Controls The participants in the control group will receive a Muse Device, which they will be free to keep at the end of the study. They will be asked not to open and/or use the Muse device until the entire study is complete. On day 1 of the Study, they will complete the Cambridge Brain Sciences online cognitive assessment battery, plus a longer questionnaire about stress levels, workplace wellness, quality of life, mindfulness and (depending on group), sleep quality.

At the end of Week 6 (at the completion of the main study period), all participants will be reassessed using the Cambridge Brain Sciences online cognitive assessment battery, and the longer questionnaire about stress levels, workplace wellness, quality of life, mindfulness and sleep quality.

All participants will also complete a brief debriefing questionnaire at the end of Week 6, reporting their experiences about the study.

They will again be assessed using the Cambridge Brain Sciences online cognitive assessment battery, and the longer questionnaire about stress levels, workplace wellness, quality of life, mindfulness and sleep quality at the end of Week 12 (6 weeks after completing the main study period).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

360

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 100 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

The study will be open to all Hatch employees in Canada. Hatch is a large engineering firm in Canada. Hatch currently has 4406 Canadian employees and therefore our sample size represents approximately 10% of the population.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • None

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: NONE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Sleep Intervention System - No Coaching
Participants will be asked to use either the Muse Mind Meditation, Muse Sleep Journeys, Go to Sleep Soundscapes or Go to Sleep Guidance each evening as part of their bedtime routine to help them prepare to sleep. In addition, participants may use any part of the Muse App (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations), as often as they like to help them fall asleep, go back to sleep, or as a meditation practice during the daytime. All Participants will also be asked to do the Muse Mind meditation for a minimum of 5 minutes per day, a minimum of 5 days per week, for 6 weeks.
Participants will be asked to use either the Muse Mind Meditation, Muse Sleep Journeys, Go to Sleep Soundscapes or Go to Sleep Guidance each evening as part of their bedtime routine to help them prepare to sleep. In addition, participants may use any part of the Muse App (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations, as often as they like to help them fall asleep, go back to sleep, or as a meditation practice during the daytime. All Participants will also be asked to do the Muse Mind meditation for a minimum of 5 minutes per day, a minimum of 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. If they also wish to use the Muse system more frequently (day or night), they will be encouraged to do so and will be able to choose between several styles of available meditation (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations). Participants will be asked to also wear their Muse device while they sleep, as often as they like in order to track their sleep.
EXPERIMENTAL: Sleep Intervention System - Plus Digital Coaching
The procedure will be identical to Group 1 above, but in addition, all participants will also work through the content in the Muse S Sleep Coaching course, and implement the sleep hygiene and habit changes recommended through the course that they find reasonable and effective for their situation.
Participants will be asked to use either the Muse Mind Meditation, Muse Sleep Journeys, Go to Sleep Soundscapes or Go to Sleep Guidance each evening as part of their bedtime routine to help them prepare to sleep. In addition, participants may use any part of the Muse App (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations, as often as they like to help them fall asleep, go back to sleep, or as a meditation practice during the daytime. All Participants will also be asked to do the Muse Mind meditation for a minimum of 5 minutes per day, a minimum of 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. If they also wish to use the Muse system more frequently (day or night), they will be encouraged to do so and will be able to choose between several styles of available meditation (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations). Participants will be asked to also wear their Muse device while they sleep, as often as they like in order to track their sleep.
All participants will work through the content in the Muse S Sleep Coaching course, and implement the sleep hygiene and habit changes recommended through the course that they find reasonable and effective for their situation.
EXPERIMENTAL: Sleep Intervention System - Plus Digital Coaching plus Human Coaching
The procedure will be identical to Group 2 above, but in addition, all participants will be asked to join regular online coaching sessions. Participants will be divided into 9 cohorts of 10 people per cohort. Each cohort will be offered group coaching once per week. Coaches will be versed in Mindfulness, and how to use Muse and how to support sleep. Coaching will take place virtually using Interaxon's Zoom account. Throughout the coaching, all participants will be referred to via their first names or their anonymized login names. In addition, for any challenges that arise, participants will have unlimited access to Muse Customer Care via phone, email, and video where appropriate during normal business hours.
Participants will be asked to use either the Muse Mind Meditation, Muse Sleep Journeys, Go to Sleep Soundscapes or Go to Sleep Guidance each evening as part of their bedtime routine to help them prepare to sleep. In addition, participants may use any part of the Muse App (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations, as often as they like to help them fall asleep, go back to sleep, or as a meditation practice during the daytime. All Participants will also be asked to do the Muse Mind meditation for a minimum of 5 minutes per day, a minimum of 5 days per week, for 6 weeks. If they also wish to use the Muse system more frequently (day or night), they will be encouraged to do so and will be able to choose between several styles of available meditation (Mind, Heart, Breath, Body, Guided or Go to Sleep meditations). Participants will be asked to also wear their Muse device while they sleep, as often as they like in order to track their sleep.
All participants will work through the content in the Muse S Sleep Coaching course, and implement the sleep hygiene and habit changes recommended through the course that they find reasonable and effective for their situation.
All participants will work through the content in the Muse S Sleep Coaching course, and implement the sleep hygiene and habit changes recommended through the course that they find reasonable and effective for their situation. All participants will also be asked to join regular online coaching sessions. Participants will be divided into 9 cohorts of 10 people per cohort. Each cohort will be offered group coaching once per week. Coaches will be versed in Mindfulness, and how to use Muse and how to support sleep. Coaching will take place virtually using Interaxon's Zoom account.
NO_INTERVENTION: Control
The participants in the control group will receive a Muse Device, which they will be free to keep at the end of the study. They will be asked not to open and/or use the Muse device until the entire study is complete. On day 1 of the Study, they will complete the Cambridge Brain Sciences online cognitive assessment battery), plus a longer questionnaire about stress levels, workplace wellness, quality of life, mindfulness and (depending on group), sleep quality. At the completion of the study controls will be offered optional, free group coaching sessions if they complete the study requirements.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sleep Scores
Time Frame: 12 weeks
The primary outcome will be scores on the Sleep Questionnaire. This questionnaire includes the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index which is the most widely accepted and validated self-report method for assessing changes in sleeping patterns.
12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Score on the Cambridge Brain Sciences
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Secondary outcome measures will be score on the Cambridge Brain Sciences (CBS) cognitive battery. The CBS battery assesses aspects of memory, attention, planning, and reasoning, using a web-based interface that can be self-administered at home through any internet browser.
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Adrian M Owen, PhD, Western University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ANTICIPATED)

May 1, 2021

Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED)

August 1, 2021

Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)

October 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 26, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 27, 2021

First Posted (ACTUAL)

April 28, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

April 28, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 27, 2021

Last Verified

April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 118355

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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