Determining Risks using Ecological Assessments of Mood, Sleep, & Suicide: An ecological momentary assessment of sleep effects in veterans with suicidal ideation, or DREAMSS, is a new pilot study led by Dr. Maegan Willing from the Center for Deployment Psychology. This study will explore how sleep quality impacts the thoughts and feelings of veterans who struggle with insomnia and suicidal thoughts. Using proven strategies, we will use mobile apps and Fitbits to monitor individuals sleep while collecting real-time data on thoughts and mood to uncover crucial insights for reducing the risk of suicide in veterans.
Members of the CDP Research Team, including Jaime Rodden, Sebastian Preilipper, Ariana Bazzi, and Dr. Maegan Willing enjoyed participating in the 2025 USU Research Day. This annual event at the Uniformed Services University serves as a vital platform to promote and highlight the diverse research conducted by students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates across USU and its affiliate institutions.
Recently a case was shared with me in consultation that perked my ears up. He had a number of disruptions related to his sleep, including difficulty staying asleep, nightmares, a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a history of two traumatic incidents. Worse, he had started grinding his teeth to the point of wearing through over the counter mouthguards. He was described as an “extreme case” that had failed prior evidence-based treatment and would not likely benefit from say Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).
The Sleep Ed-MC project is a collaboration between experts from CDP, San Diego State University (SDSU), the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (USU), and the VA’s National Center for PTSD. Co-led by Drs. Emily Schmied (SDSU) and Maegan Willing (CDP), this study, titled "Reducing Suicidality through Improved Sleep Health" or "Sleep Ed-MC," addresses the critical issue of suicide prevention in the military.
“Why do I need to fill out a sleep log? My FitBit/Apple Watch/Oura Ring already tells me everything about my sleep.”
Even if you are new to assessing and treating insomnia, you have probably already encountered a patient asking similar questions. A key component – possibly the most important component – of effective treatment is the subjective tracking of sleep using a sleep log or sleep diary. But it seems perfectly reasonable that a patient would prefer to give you the data that is already being collected by their favorite wearable technology. Do we really need the sleep log to provide good treatment?
