Tele-Sleep Decision Assist Tool

Purpose

This solicitation, issued by MTEC, represents a Request for Project Proposals (RPP) for MTEC’s support of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Military Operational Medicine (MOM) technology objective to improve physiological and psychological health and resilience. Strategic oversight for the award(s) supported by this RPP will be provided by the MOM Program Area Management Office.

Sleep management is a high priority of the military to optimize Warfighter performance, remain safe, and potentially reduce the likelihood of psychological issues downstream. Personnel with sleep deprivation are likely to perform at a suboptimal state, both mentally and physically, which jeopardizes themselves, their companions, the mission, and the general effectiveness of the military unit.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, “85% of active duty Service members have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or insomnia.” Studies have also shown that up to 40% of returning personnel have sleep disorders that can lead to depression and anxiety, as well as contribute to other medical disorders, such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Currently, behavioral sleep interventions are recommended as the first-line of treatment of such sleep disorders, such as relaxation training, stimulus control therapy, sleep hygiene, etc., and many have shown improvements in patient outcomes in the clinic. However, the success of many of these therapies is limited due to: i) an insufficient number of clinicians and sleep clinics specializing in behavioral sleep interventions; ii) a large number of patients seeking treatment (high demand, low supply); and iii) a current practice that relies on multiple visits of face-to-face sessions with the clinician to reach an acceptable patient outcome. The time commitment, travel, inconvenience, and general lack of trained practitioners contribute to the limited accessibility of these valuable interventions and leaves many patients with untreated sleep disorders.

In addition to advocating for a cultural change toward improved sleep practices, the military is focused on scaling-up the availability of behavioral sleep intervention services to relieve the growing pressure on its workforce and assist in the physiological and psychological restoration of active-duty personnel prior to redeployment or transition into the civilian workforce as veterans. Therefore, this funding opportunity focuses on the transition of evidenced-based behavioral sleep interventions for application to the military population.

Scope of Work

To be provided initially by the Offeror at the time of submission. Submitted information is subject to change through negotiation if the Government selects for funding.

Points of Contact

For inquiries, please direct your correspondence to Biomedical Research Associate Chuck Hutti, Ph.D. at Chuck.Hutti@ati.org.