ÜBERMAD

Rule · when

At the same time every day

A fixed clock time, including fixed wake, meal or bed times.

A smiling bearded man in a checked waistcoat stands on a stone step, swinging and ringing a big hand bell.

Studies (11)

  1. Paper

    Sleep therapy by video helped pregnant women put off going to bed less
    TestedHelped

    Weekly therapy on sleep times, winding down and bad thoughts about sleep cut putting off bed more than emailed tips.

    Small randomised trial of 64 pregnant women with sleep problems · vs six weekly emails with general sleep tips · they rated themselves

    TestedHelped

    A mindful version of the same therapy beat the emailed tips by about as much.

    Small randomised trial of 64 pregnant women with sleep problems · vs six weekly emails with general sleep tips · they rated themselves

  2. Paper

    Coaching on a steady sleep routine made teens' sleep times far more regular
    TestedHelped

    Teens coached to wake at a fixed time, get morning light and cut evening screens got much steadier sleep times.

    Small randomised trial of 57 anxious, depressed teenagers in Pakistan · vs weekly therapy on unhelpful thoughts, same length · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ only counted people who finished; results look too good to be true

  3. Paper

    Therapy on daily habits made days more steady, but only later on
    TestedMixed

    Twelve weekly sessions on steady days left days steadier than usual care at a later check, but not right after.

    Small randomised trial of 63 adults with bipolar disorder in Egypt · vs usual care with medicine · they rated themselves · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

  4. Paper

    Five written plans built wake-up habits no better than a short video
    UsedNo comparison

    After a short video on not snoozing, getting up felt more like a habit, but everyone saw it.

    Randomised trial of 286 US adults who snooze and sleep badly · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out

  5. Paper

    A daily plan made meal and bed times more steady in alcohol treatment
    TestedHelped

    A personal plan with fixed meal and bed times made those times vary less than a diary without a plan.

    Small randomised trial of 41 adults in treatment for alcohol dependence · vs the same diary and check-ins without a plan · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out

  6. Paper

    Set times for each day made young people's routines more steady
    TestedHelped

    Twelve sessions on set times to wake, eat and sleep made routines more steady than sessions on emotions.

    Small randomised trial of 35 young people with bipolar disorder · vs 12 sessions on skills for handling emotions · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished

  7. Paper

    Being told to keep the same time and place didn't build a habit faster
    TestedNo difference

    Students told to keep the same place and time daily felt the habit was no more automatic than the others.

    Small trial, groups not picked at random of 95 university students in Germany · vs students told to vary the place and time · they rated themselves

  8. Paper

    Sleep coaching by phone did not clearly steady bed and wake times
    UsedNo difference

    Weekly sleep lessons, coach-set sleep goals and tracker feedback did not steady bed and wake times more than health emails.

    Very small randomised trial of 14 adults with type 1 diabetes and poor sleep · vs weekly health emails and short calls without sleep advice · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; groups weren't properly compared

  9. Paper

    Lessons on exercising at a set time made no clear difference for heart patients
    TestedNo difference

    Group lessons on exercise at a set time with cues at home made no clear change to weekly exercise.

    Very small randomised trial of 13 heart patients starting cardiac rehab in Canada · vs group meetings about healthy eating, same gym · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; summary claims more than the results show

  10. Paper

    Prize draws for taking most pills may have raised HIV pill-taking a little
    UsedNo comparison

    People who took pills at a set time, tied to an alarm or prayer, did better after prizes stopped.

    Randomised trial of 155 adults with HIV at a clinic in Uganda · no comparison group · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show; numbers unreliable; many people dropped out

  11. Paper

    Therapy on steady daily habits beat short check-in visits
    TestedHelped

    Therapy on steady days, with a daily log of task times, made days steadier than short visits with sleep tips.

    Randomised trial of 175 adults with bipolar I disorder in the USA · vs short visits with facts, sleep tips and support · they rated themselves · ⚠ groups used different versions of the routine diary

Often used with it