Sleep Learning Education and Empowerment for Older Korean Immigrants

Poor sleep is common among Asian Americans. Untreated sleep problems increase the risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline, and mortality. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is considered the first-line treatment for chronic sleep problems and has demonstrated significant improvement in sleep health among older adults. However, existing CBTI is built upon Western culture, making it challenging to apply for Asian immigrants who maintain close ties to their native cultures that shape and influence their sleep habits. Addressing the lack of availability of a culturally adapted sleep intervention program is the first step to filling the gap in sleep health disparity among Asian immigrants.

This study aims to pilot test the feasibility and the preliminary efficacy of a culturally adapted sleep intervention program among older Korean immigrants with poor sleep, one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the United States with limited access to mainstream sleep therapies.

Poor sleep is common among Asian Americans. Untreated sleep problems increase the risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline, and mortality. Addressing the lack of availability of a culturally adapted sleep intervention program is the first step to filling the gap in sleep health disparity among Asian immigrants. This study aims to evaluate its feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a culturally adapted sleep education program ("SLEEP-OK") in a pilot randomized clinical trial. Study participant (N=32) will be randomized to either our culturally adapted, manual-based sleep intervention group (n=16) or the information-only control group (n=16) at our community partner serving older Korean immigrants. The study will evaluate the feasibility of the intervention and the preliminary effects of the intervention on sleep health outcomes among Korean immigrants at baseline and post-intervention (i.e., immediately after the last session of the intervention).