The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted its seal of approval to an anti-insomnia app, but only a few may afford its price of $899.
Good news for those who have sleep disorders and have trouble falling asleep at night as the FDA finally approves the download and use of an iPhone-based anti-insomnia app. The bad news is perhaps only those who suffer from the worst case of sleeping disorder or with oodles of money to spare can avail of the app. At $899, it is more expensive than the standard iPhone 12 or the iPhone 12 mini.
Recently, the FDA also granted its approval for a prescription-only Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) app. The PTSD app, called NightWare, helps PTSD patients improve their sleep and avoid recurrent nightmares. "A device such as the NightWare therapeutic platform performs the necessary reconnaissance of the mind to identify and interrupt post-traumatic stress-associated nightmares, thereby helping us take a transformational step forward in how we can begin to better support our veterans and active service members suffering from this PTSD-related nightmares," said Peter Chiarelli, a retired US Army General and NightWare consultant. Like NightWare, the iPhone-based anti-insomnia app called Somryst also got FDA approval, which you can get for $899.
The coronavirus pandemic fast-tracked work on app-based remedies and treatments for mental health conditions that previously necessitated prescription medications, as well as in-person therapy sessions. In a report, Business Insider stated the COVID-19 outbreak worsened the mental-health crisis in the US, necessitating the need for apps like Calm and Headspace to cope with certain situations in the absence of in-person therapy sessions. Now, developers have come up with a horde of apps that works to directly deal with mental illness, instead of just helping people cope. NightWare and the $899 iPhone-based anti-insomnia app Somryst, are among the mental-health treatment apps that recently secured an FDA approval.
According to the developers who created the programs, their apps deliver similar results as prescription medications. They also said that in-person therapy is already outdated and their apps can take their place. The FDA recently gave its approval to these mental-health apps to help them become more available for those who really needed the apps. The only obstacle sometimes is the price tag of the apps, such as in the case of the $899 Somryst, an iPhone-based anti-insomnia app.
As to the efficacy of these mental-health apps, experts at the FDA, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Institute of Mental Health revealed there is evidence that the apps do work. They also said that people who require professional help could benefit from programs like the $899 Somryst, an iPhone-based anti-insomnia app, due to the health restrictions currently in place due to the COVID-19 health crisis. While some of these apps do have a high price tag, they offer many benefits, particularly to those who simply cannot get proper in-person therapies or prescription medications.
