Alexandra Hinterberger

Alexandra Hinterberger

PhD Student

PLUS Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences

Department of Psychology

Background

After completing my Bachelor's and Master's degree in Psychology at the University of Salzburg, I am currently doing my PhD at the Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research. During my studies I had the opportunity to work in the Sleep Lab as a study assistant and project employee, where I first developed a deep fascination for the topic of sleep and how sleep can be studied. Sleep is a universal yet often overlooked part of our lives - something we cannot consciously experience while it happens, and yet it profoundly shapes our well-being.

Research Interests

My current research focuses on sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, as well as digital approaches to sleep therapy and the role of sleep tracking. I am currently involved in projects investigating the effects of face-to-face therapy and app-based interventions for individuals with insomnia, and how sleep tracking influences both sleep itself and the subjective experience of sleep in people with sleep problems. A central aim of my work is to better understand which individuals benefit most from different types of treatment, ultimately contributing to more personalized approaches in sleep medicine and more effective therapeutic interventions. Alongside my research, I am passionate about science communication and making knowledge about sleep accessible beyond academia, both to support individuals experiencing sleep difficulties and to promote healthier sleep in everyday life.

Publications

2025

Continuous sleep tracking in digital CBT-I: Efficacy and insights from a naturalistic-environment study
Alexandra Hinterberger, Esther-Sevil Eigl, Aniko Szeko, Pavlos I Topalidis, Manuel Schabus
International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology
The Effects of a CBT-I Based App-Program on Sleep Quality, Insomnia Severity, Psychological Strain and Quality of Life: A Pilot Study
Alexandra Hinterberger, Esther-Sevil Eigl, Pavlos Topalidis, Manuel Schabus
Nature and Science of Sleep
Non-guided, mobile, CBT-I-based sleep intervention in War-torn Ukraine: A feasibility study
Anton Kurapov, Jens Blechert, Alexandra Hinterberger, Pavlos Topalidis, Manuel Schabus
PLoS ONE

2024

Investigating the subjective and objective efficacy of a cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)-based smartphone app on sleep: A randomised controlled trial
Alexandra Hinterberger, Esther‐Sevil Eigl, Robyn Nina Schwemlein, Pavlos Topalidis, Manuel Schabus
Journal of Sleep Research

2023

From Pulses to Sleep Stages: Towards Optimized Sleep Classification Using Heart-Rate Variability
Pavlos I. Topalidis, Sebastian Baron, Dominik P. J. Heib, Esther-Sevil Eigl, Alexandra Hinterberger, Manuel Schabus
Sensors
The Virtual Sleep Lab—A Novel Method for Accurate Four-Class Sleep Staging Using Heart-Rate Variability from Low-Cost Wearables
Pavlos Topalidis, Dominik Philip Johannes Heib, Sebastian Baron, Esther-Sevil Eigl, Alexandra Hinterberger, Manuel Schabus
Sensors