Assessing impact of chamber restricted environmental stimulation therapy on stress and sleep quality among university students: an intervention study.
BMC psychology July 17, 2025 Igor Bartolen, Petra Soláriková
A single three-hour session of Chamber REST (restricted environmental stimulation therapy) reduced perceived stress and information overload, and increased mindfulness, in university students. Among 237 students, 176 completed the session while 61 served as controls; after matching, 120 experimental and 60 control participants were analyzed. At one-week follow-up, the experimental group showed significant reductions in perceived stress (d = 0.384) and information overload (d = 0.464), and a significant increase in mindfulness (d = 0.274), with no significant changes in sleep quality or rumination. The therapy was more effective for those with higher intermittent stress and lower sleep quality.