iCANSleep: Smartphone App-Based Insomnia Treatment for Cancer Survivors

Launched by MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND · Jul 28, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called iCANSleep, is looking at whether a smartphone app that delivers a type of talk therapy called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) can help improve sleep problems in cancer survivors. The study will include 146 people across Canada who have finished cancer treatment at least three months ago and are experiencing ongoing insomnia, which means trouble falling or staying asleep.

To join the study, participants need to be adults who have completed their cancer treatment and have a diagnosis of insomnia. They must have access to a smartphone and be comfortable using apps since the therapy is delivered through a mobile app available in English and French. People with other untreated sleep or serious mental health conditions won’t be eligible. Those who take sleep medications can still join, but their use will be taken into account during the study. Participants will either use the app right away or be placed on a waitlist, and the study will compare the sleep improvements between these groups to see if the app helps cancer survivors get better rest.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Cancer survivors
• • Over 18 years of age
• • Lives in Canada
• • Understands English or French fluently
• • DSM-5 diagnosis of insomnia
• • ISI score of 8 or higher
• • Good performance status as indicated by a score of 0-2 on the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status scale
• • Access to internet connection
• • Ownership of smartphone
• • Fluency using mobile applications.
• • Individuals with non-hematological malignancies must show no evidence of cancer or clinically stable/inactive disease for a minimum of 3 months prior to enrollment (for individuals with non-metastatic cancer) or be on a stable treatment regimen for the prior 3 months (for individuals with metastatic cancer) to ensure that insomnia is not a direct, acute response to cancer treatment.
• • Individuals with hematological malignancies must be in remission at the time of recruitment and have completed cancer treatments (e.g., transplant, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy) at least 3 months prior.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Presence of a sleep disorder other than insomnia that is not adequately treated (e.g., untreated sleep apnea)
• • Presence of a psychological disorder that is currently untreated or would impair the ability to participate (e.g., bipolar disorder)
• • Major sensory deficit (e.g., blindness)
• • Previous experience receiving CBT-I.
• • The use of medications prescribed for sleep (e.g., hypnotics, sedatives, or antidepressants) will be tracked and adjusted for in the statistical analysis.