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Sleep Worth knowing

Empowerment Avenue Sleep is the test winner

4 min reading time
Profile picture of the licensed psychotherapist Annika
Annika Haffke
Profile picture of the licensed psychotherapist Annika
Author Annika Haffke Psychotherapist for Children and adolescents
Annika studied psychology and is approved Child and adolescent psychotherapist with a focus Cognitive behavior therapy.

The Empowerment Avenue Sleep therapy program was named test winner among digital programs for the treatment of sleep disorders by Stiftung Warentest with the quality rating "very good" (1.4). The therapy program shares first place with another DiGA. A total of eight programs were examined, with Empowerment Avenue Sleep convincing across the board and receiving the grade "very good" in all categories. The therapeutic concept and content as well as the extensive evidence of effectiveness and the high level of data protection were particularly highlighted. This is the third time that Empowerment Avenue has been awarded by Stiftung Warentest. Most recently, in 2021, Empowerment Avenue Panik emerged as the test winner at Stiftung Warentest.

By the way, Empowerment Avenue Sleep is certified as a digital health application (DiGA), so you can get the therapy program prescribed free of charge. Your health insurance will cover 100% of the costs.

Contents:
  1. Stiftung Warentest and sleep therapy – what was tested?
  2. “Very good” in effectiveness
  3. Highest data security
  4. Use the test winner Empowerment Avenue Sleep for free
Symbol image with magazines: Hellobetter sleep at Stiftung Warentest

Stiftung Warentest and sleep therapy – what was tested?

According to studies, around one in ten people in Canada suffers from chronic difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep . The need for effective treatment options is therefore enormous. Digital programs can provide a quick and promising solution here. But how good, effective and safe are such programs really? This is exactly what Stiftung Warentest has now taken a closer look at. The extensive test focused on four web-based online programs and four apps for dealing with sleep problems. The digital offerings were put through their paces by psychological experts and rated in the categories of "concept", "effectiveness" and "data protection", among others. The results show clear differences: the ratings range from "very good" to "poor".

Empowerment Avenue Sleeping convinces with the best concept

The test report highlights that Empowerment Avenue Sleep stands out particularly because of its concept (“very good”, 1.3). Unlike some of the other offers examined, Empowerment Avenue Sleep is based on cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which according to the current guidelines is considered the first-choice treatment method for sleep disorders. The guidelines emphasize that CBT-I can also be carried out effectively in the form of a digital therapy program.

Despite the clear recommendation, less than one percent of people with sleep disorders currently receive treatment that complies with the guidelines. This low rate is due not least to the lack of suitable services and therapy places.

Empowerment Avenue Sleep teaches the effective strategies of CBT-I in eight course units and six additional units, which include texts, videos, audios and interactive exercises. According to Stiftung Warentest, the therapy program impresses with its user-friendliness, transparency and well-founded expert knowledge, which is imparted in the course by one of Canada's leading sleep researchers and experts, Prof. Dr. D. Rieman.

With an integrated sleep diary and regular symptom checks, you can systematically track your own sleep and symptoms and thereby identify connections and progress. The program helps you to understand your sleep problems step by step and learn effective strategies. During the course, you will learn, for example, how to break through brooding thoughts and reduce stress and tension.

Specially trained psychologists from Empowerment Avenue will accompany you throughout the entire course and give you written feedback after each completed unit.

“Very good” in effectiveness

In addition to content and concept, Empowerment Avenue Sleep also received a grade of “very good” (1.3) in the “study evidence of effectiveness” category. The effectiveness of the therapy program has already been proven in four clinical studies with over 500 participants. This makes it one of the few digital health applications whose effectiveness has been confirmed in several randomized controlled studies – the gold standard in research.

The vast majority of participants in Empowerment Avenue Sleep (80%) had significantly fewer sleep problems after completing the therapy program - and this effect even lasted long-term. Even six months after completing the program, positive effects on sleep and also on depressive symptoms, ruminations and worries were observed.

One program participant wrote to us: " I've had sleep problems for a really long time now and nothing has helped me as well and effectively as this course. The feedback is always very helpful and I feel in good hands and confident that I'll get help/tips quickly if I have a problem. I will recommend your course to anyone who has sleep problems."

Highest data security

Your data is safe with us. Stiftung Warentest also recognizes this and awards the product a grade of "very good" (1.5) in the "basic protection of personal data" category. At Empowerment Avenue, we implement the strictest requirements in terms of data protection and information security. Since the program is listed as a digital health application, in addition to the General Data Protection Regulation, the DiGA Regulation also applies, which alone includes over 80 data protection requirements.

Use the test winner Empowerment Avenue Sleep for free

Do you suffer from difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and would you like a treatment that is recommended by the guidelines and experts as the method of choice, from home and without any waiting time? Then get the test winner Empowerment Avenue Sleep. The online therapy program is completely free of charge for you, because your statutory health insurance covers the costs. All you need is a prescription from your doctor or psychotherapist. You can also get your prescription quickly through telemedicine providers.

You can then send the prescription to your health insurance company yourself or via our Empowerment Avenue prescription service and quickly start the course. You can try out the program, which has been awarded by Stiftung Warentest, from your smartphone, tablet or laptop and go through it at your own pace. Start your journey to better sleep today!