Frequently Asked Questions

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The treatment on the iCANSleep app is called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). It is a proven treatment for insomnia recommended by the American College of Physicians, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. CBT-I is a multicomponent intervention that is designed to address behaviours and thoughts that are known to influence the development and maintenance of sleep difficulties and help you achieve long-term recovery.  In CBT-I you will learn how to:

1.  Train your body to associate the bedroom with sleep.

2.  Relax and quiet your mind.

3.  Change any beliefs you may have about sleep that are getting in the way of sleeping better.

CBT-I has both immediate and long-term benefits in reducing insomnia severity in cancer patients, reducing time to fall asleep and time spent awake in bed.

For more information on the research and evidence behind CBT-I, see the "Resources" page.

Poor sleep is one of the most common challenges of cancer survivorship. Poor sleep and insomnia can limit recovery and quality of life. Cancer survivors experience insomnia at a rate 3 times higher than the general population and their poor sleep can persist for up to ten years after completing treatment.

iCANSleep is tailored to cancer survivors to address the unique concerns they may have in relation to their insomnia, including cancer treatment, recovery, and worries.

While CBT-I is the gold-standard treatment for insomnia, it is inaccessible to many cancer survivors due to high treatment cost, lack of insurance coverage, shortage of appropriately trained clinicians to meet the demand, and a lack of geographical representation.  As such, Canadian cancer survivors, especially those living in rural areas, do not have adequate access to evidence-based treatment to improve their sleep.  Virtual CBT-I has been shown to be highly effective in improving sleep among cancer survivors, however, these programs are still not widely commercially available.

iCANSleep will be the first evidence-based insomnia treatment smartphone app for cancer survivors in Canada, addressing the priorities and concerns of cancer survivors and clinicians. Its content has been adapted from an established CBT-I protocol and is tailored to the unique needs and preferences of cancer survivors identified through a needs assessment.

iCANSleep is not publicly available on the App Store yet. We are currently looking for Canadian cancer survivors to test the iCANSleep app for free and give us feedback on their experience. You may be eligible to participate in our research if you:

-Have ever received a cancer diagnosis

-Have difficulty falling or staying asleep

-Are over 18 years old

-Are an iPhone user

-Live in Canada

-Have completed all treatments or have been considered clinically stable for at least 3 months

If you'd like to become involved, email icansleepapp@gmail.com to schedule an eligibility screening.