Black Dog Institute

Grow the Reach of Sleep Ninja

The issue

Research shows that many adolescents don’t get the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep each night, and up to 40% will experience sleep problems during high school⁽¹⁾. Sleep problems can lead to fatigue, daytime tiredness, and cognitive difficulties and are a significant risk factor for the onset of mental health problems, specifically depression in young people⁽²⁾.

The project

Sleep Ninja is an evidence-based digital intervention developed by Black Dog Institute to address adolescent sleep problems with the aim to get it into the hands of those who need it most. After a successful launch in 2023, our ongoing support has helped to increase the uptake of the Sleep Ninja app by more adolescents in Australia.

Black Dog Institute used data insights to better understand how people are finding and using the app, and have continued to engage parents, schools and health professionals with dedicated resources to encourage young people to use Sleep Ninja to improve their sleep patterns.

The impact

Sleep Ninja empowers young people across Australia to adopt healthy sleep behaviours and maintain and improve their wellbeing. By delivering an easily accessible, effective digital intervention for adolescents’ mental health, we aim to reduce the burden on the mental health system through early intervention and help to address the inequalities experienced when accessing mental health care in regional areas.

More than 21,600 young people and their families have used the app up to the end of 2025, including over 7,100 young people aged 12-16 years. Amongst this cohort of users, 76% reported a reduction in insomnia symptoms.

A previous cohort of Sleep Ninja users had also reported the following improvements: 

• 85% experienced better sleep after using Sleep Ninja.

• 49% reported a reduction in depressive symptoms.

• 55% reported a reduction in anxiety symptoms.

• 64% reported improved quality of life.

Read more on Sleep Ninja and download the app here.

References

1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2017.04.004

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079213000440

The issue

Sleep problems for adolescents can lead to fatigue and cognitive difficulties, as well as being a major risk factor for the onset of mental health problems, including depression⁽¹⁾. These impacts can affect students’ school attendance⁽²⁾ and classroom learning⁽³⁾.

The project

Sleep Ninja is a successful online science-backed program designed by Black Dog Institute specifically for young people. Research has shown it can improve sleep and reduce depression. Our additional funding enabled Black Dog Institute to adapt the Sleep Ninja app into a classroom educational resource so young people can lay the foundations for healthy sleeping habits in early high school. The Sleep Ninja Classroom pilot program was a face-to-face program delivered by teachers, alongside a home-based component where students access and use the app during the school term.

The impact

The classroom program in combination with the Sleep Ninja app allows for greater impact on students’ sleep habits, sustaining new behaviours over a longer-term period.

The pilot was well received by participating schools, students and teachers. 83% of student participants surveyed reported that the program changed the way they think about sleep. 68-94% of students reported that they had implemented or intended to implement the strategies taught in the program, with the most popular strategies being:  

• having a regular bedtime and morning wake up time 

• exercising each day 

• getting daylight in the morning 

 Students also reported going to bed earlier on school nights and waking up earlier on weekends. 

The program can now provide a new way for healthy sleep to be taught through school curriculums, and further grow the reach of the Sleep Ninja app amongst adolescents.

References

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2777741

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721815001205
   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1403494814556647

3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721818302511
   https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034320961130

The project

Sleep Ninja is an evidence-based digital intervention for adolescent sleep problems with the aim to get it into the hands of those who need it most. Amongst many features, the app delivers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia which is the gold-standard treatment for insomnia and sleep disturbance. 

Through their partnership with nib foundation, Black Dog Institute have developed a comprehensive implementation strategy to identify how Sleep Ninja can have the greatest impact in the real world, including identifying how to embed the app in existing health, psychology and education services so more young Aussies access Sleep Ninja. 

The impact

Sleep Ninja empowers young people across Australia to adopt healthy sleep behaviours and maintain and improve their wellbeing. By delivering an easily accessible, effective digital intervention for adolescents’ mental health, they aim to reduce the burden on the mental health system and help to address the inequalities experienced when accessing mental health care in regional areas compared to metropolitan areas.

Learn more

The issue

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons between 15 – 34 years of age – over three times that of non-Indigenous Australians.

Costs, accessibility to health services, remote locations and mistrust of services are all barriers that can prevent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from seeking help for their mental health.

The project

Since 2018, we’ve partnered with Black Dog Institute to help develop iBobbly, the world’s first suicide prevention app for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia.

The funding enabled Black Dog Institute to develop and pilot the app and now we’ve extended the funding to ensure the delivery of the app to over 800 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by December 2020.

Unlike most online programs, the mobile app has been designed by, and for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples using metaphors, images, videos and stories drawn from local Aboriginal artists and performers to ensure the program is relevant for those wishing to seek help.

The impact

By providing a free, easily accessible app to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth struggling with mental health issues in their relevant language and culture, encourages help-seeking behaviours and helps build the skills to manage psychological distress and low mood.

The long-term vision is that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth will have access to the health app, with the app ultimately functioning to build mental fitness and connect users to local culturally appropriate support services.