The university course "Sleep Coaching", qualifies for counseling activities around the topic of sleep for affected persons and relatives, for information and assistance in the planning and implementation of non-drug or psychological counseling and treatment concepts for non-restorative sleep and provides basic knowledge about sleep and sleep disorders.
This training helps to recognize sleep problems with all its facets and to treat them successfully. The university course is conducted on a part-time basis.
- Duration: 4 Semester
- Extent: 72 ECTS
- Part-Time
- Language: German/English
- Costs: 12.800,-
- Duration: 6 Semester
- Extent: 120 ECTS
- Part-Time
- Language: Deutsch/Englisch
- Costs: € 14.800,-
The master’s program “Sleep Coaching” conveys fundamental knowledge about sleep and sleep disorders. It qualifies for providing counselling and consulting on sleep related aspects of, and provides help for those, affected by sleep difficulties. It also qualifies for consultations about different approaches in the treatment of non-restorative sleep with focus on non-drug interventions such as psychological and behavioural techniques. The master’s program is organized as extra-occupational lectures.
Selected publications:
Ableidinger, S. & Holzinger, B. (2023). Sleep Paralysis and Lucid Dreaming—Between Waking and Dreaming: A Review about Two Extraordinary States. Journal Of Clinical Medicine, 12(10), 3437. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12103437
Altena, E., Baglioni, C., Espie, C. A., Ellis, J., Gavriloff, D., Holzinger, B., Schlarb, A., Frase, L., Jernelöv, S. & Riemann, D. (2020). Dealing with sleep problems during home confinement due to the COVID‐19 outbreak: Practical recommendations from a task force of the European CBT‐I Academy. Journal Of Sleep Research, 29(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13052
Baglioni, C., Altena, E., Bjorvatn, B., Blom, K., Bothelius, K., Devoto, A., Espie, C. A., Frase, L., Gavriloff, D., Tuuliki, H., Hoflehner, A., Högl, B., Holzinger, B., Järnefelt, H., Jernelöv, S., Johann, A. F., Lombardo, C., Nissen, C., Palagini, L., . . . Riemann, D. (2019). The European Academy for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia: An initiative of the European Insomnia Network to promote implementation and dissemination of treatment. Journal Of Sleep Research, 29(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12967
Baglioni, C., Espie, C. A., Altena, E., Gavriloff, D., Jernelöv, S., Holzinger, B., Schlarb, A. & Riemann, D. (2023). Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia disorder: Extending the stepped care model. Journal Of Sleep Research, 32(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14016
Bjorvatn, B., Merikanto, I., Chung, F., Holzinger, B., Morin, C. M., Penzel, T., De Gennaro, L., Dauvilliers, Y., Wing, Y. K., Benedict, C., Xue, P., Reis, C., Korman, M., Landtblom, A., Matsui, K., Hrubos‐Strøm, H., Mota‐Rolim, S., Nadorff, M. R., Berezin, L., . . . Espie, C. A. (2025). Sleep During Pandemic Times: Summary of Findings and Future Outlook Through the Lens of the International COVID Sleep Study (ICOSS). Journal Of Sleep Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70076
Bolstad, C. J., Bjorvatn, B., Chan, N. Y., Chung, F., Dauvilliers, Y., De Gennaro, L., Espie, C. A., Holzinger, B., Inoue, Y., Korman, M., Bjelajac, A. K., Landtblom, A., Macêdo, T., Matsui, K., Merikanto, I., Morin, C. M., Mota‐Rolim, S., Penzel, T., Plazzi, G., . . . Nadorff, M. R. (2025). Prevalence Rates of Frequent Dream Recall and Nightmares by Age, Gender and Sleep Duration in 16 Countries. Journal Of Sleep Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70070
Bolstad, C. J., Holzinger, B., Scarpelli, S., De Gennaro, L., Yordanova, J., Koumanova, S., Mota‐Rolim, S., Benedict, C., Bjorvatn, B., Chan, N. Y., Chung, F., Dauvilliers, Y., Espie, C. A., Inoue, Y., Korman, M., Bjelajac, A. K., Landtblom, A., Matsui, K., Merikanto, I., . . . Nadorff, M. R. (2024). Nightmare frequency is a risk factor for suicidal ideation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Journal Of Sleep Research, 33(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14165
Liu, Y., Partinen, E., Chan, N. Y., Dauvilliers, Y., Inoue, Y., De Gennaro, L., Plazzi, G., Bolstad, C. J., Nadorff, M. R., Merikanto, I., Bjorvatn, B., Han, F., Zhang, B., Cunha, A. S., Mota‐Rolim, S., Léger, D., Matsui, K., Espie, C. A., Chung, F., . . . Wing, Y. K. (2022). Dream‐enactment behaviours during the COVID‐19 pandemic: an international COVID‐19 sleep study. Journal Of Sleep Research, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13613
Merikanto, I., Dauvilliers, Y., Chung, F., Holzinger, B., De Gennaro, L., Wing, Y. K., Korman, M. & Partinen, M. (2021). Disturbances in sleep, circadian rhythms and daytime functioning in relation to coronavirus infection and Long‐COVID – A multinational ICOSS study. Journal Of Sleep Research, 31(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13542
Merikanto, I., Dauvilliers, Y., Chung, F., Wing, Y. K., De Gennaro, L., Holzinger, B., Bjorvatn, B., Morin, C. M., Penzel, T., Benedict, C., Bjelajac, A. K., Chan, N. Y., Espie, C. A., Hrubos‐Strøm, H., Inoue, Y., Korman, M., Landtblom, A., Léger, D., Matsui, K., . . . Partinen, M. (2022). Sleep symptoms are essential features of long‐COVID– Comparing healthy controls withCOVID‐19 cases of different severity in the internationalCOVIDsleep study (ICOSS‐II). Journal Of Sleep Research, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13754
Partinen, M., Bjorvatn, B., Holzinger, B., Chung, F., Penzel, T., Espie, C. A. & Morin, C. M. (2020). Sleep and circadian problems during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic: the International COVID‐19 Sleep Study (ICOSS). Journal Of Sleep Research, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13206
Riemann, D., Espie, C. A., Altena, E., Arnardottir, E. S., Baglioni, C., Bassetti, C. L. A., Bastien, C., Berzina, N., Bjorvatn, B., Dikeos, D., Groselj, L. D., Ellis, J. G., Garcia‐Borreguero, D., Geoffroy, P. A., Gjerstad, M., Gonçalves, M., Hertenstein, E., Hoedlmoser, K., Hion, T., . . . Spiegelhalder, K. (2023). The European Insomnia Guideline: An update on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia 2023. Journal Of Sleep Research, 32(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14035
Scarpelli, S., De Santis, A., Alfonsi, V., Gorgoni, M., Morin, C. M., Espie, C., Merikanto, I., Chung, F., Penzel, T., Bjorvatn, B., Dauvilliers, Y., Holzinger, B., Wing, Y. K., Partinen, M., Plazzi, G. & De Gennaro, L. (2022). The role of sleep and dreams in long‐COVID. Journal Of Sleep Research, 32(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13789
Recent Study Report:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Brigitte Holzinger is co-author of a recent international study (Bolstad et al., 2025) examining the prevalence of nightmares and dream recall across 16 countries. The study was published in the Journal of Sleep Research and received coverage in Austrian media:
Access the publication: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70070
Der Standard. (2025, 20. Mai). Österreicher klagen öfter über Albträume als im Jahr 2019. Der Standard. https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000270588/oesterreicher-klagen-vermehrt-ueber-albtraeume
Die Presse. (2025, 20. Mai). Österreicher haben öfter Albträume als im Jahr 2019. Die Presse. https://www.diepresse.com/19704927/oesterreicher-haben-oefter-albtraeume-als-im-jahr-2019
ORF. (2025, 20. Mai). Auch in Österreich: Menschen haben zunehmend Alpträume. science.ORF.at. https://science.orf.at/stories/3230329/