Dr. Victoria Bangieva, our incredible clinical product director, appears on Sleep is a Skill Podcast to talk about sleep health—and Sleepbot. She’s interviewed by Mollie Eastman, the Founder of Sleep Is a Skill and passionate insomnia survivor who helps people optimize their sleep through their data and her own hard-earned wisdom.
How it all began
Dr. Bangieva, a health psychologist, discusses her transition from clinical work to health technology; she and Jenna Xu, our founder, met at Mindstrong, where they worked closely on turning raw patient biomarkers into actionable clinical dashboards.
That work inspired much of docbotic’s own clinician dashboards, so naturally Jenna recruited Dr. Bangieva to pick up where they left off!
Of course, she’s also had an enormous impact on the user-facing product as well. Sleepbot aims to improve the accessibility of sleep care by delivering personalized interventions through SMS and WhatsApp. By utilizing this text-based platform, docbotic makes effective sleep treatment more accessible—financially, geographically, and experientially.
Improving access—and adherence
One significant challenge discussed in the interview is the difficulty finding mental health professionals trained in CBT-i, and the prohibitive cost of treatment. The conventional CBT-i protocol can also be demanding for individuals, with a notable dropout rate. Dr. Bangieva emphasizes that the stigma surrounding insomnia and mental health further discourages people from seeking help.
The innovative approach of Sleepbot lies in its accessibility and simplicity. Dr. Bangieva notes that the program’s convenience, delivered through text messages, removes many barriers and encourages engagement. The program includes components such as sleep diaries, psychoeducation, cognitive therapy, and behavioral components, all personalized to the individual’s needs.
improving outcomes
The interview highlights the substantial improvements participants have experienced after using Sleepbot. Users have reported feeling more awake, functioning better, falling asleep faster, and experiencing reduced anxiety. Beyond sleep, these improvements have positively impacted mood and overall mental health. These results reinforce the strong connection between quality sleep and emotional well-being.
After testing the product herself, Dr. Bangieva found the program to be a helpful reminder to maintain consistent routines.
parting thoughts
Dr. Bangieva advises that the key to improving your sleep is finding a solution that works for you individually. While we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from our Sleepbot users, there are still others who need a different approach. She stresses the importance of remembering that what works for one person might not work for another. Don’t hesitate to experiment, but ultimately prioritize what brings you the most benefit.
Learn more about Dr. Bangieva:
Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/victoria-bangieva
Instagram: victoria_bangieva_phd
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-bangieva-phd
Learn more about Mollie Eastman and Sleep is a Skill:
Website: https://www.sleepisaskill.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollie.eastman/
More Episodes: https://the-sleep-is-a-skill-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes
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