Sleep in mother and child dyads during treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

To compare the sleep of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during maintenance treatment with controls and to measure the effect on maternal sleep.

Comparative, descriptive.

Pediatric oncology clinic and communities in Colorado.

26 dyads of mothers and children with ALL and matched controls.

Mothers completed insomnia severity, mood, and stress questionnaires and wore a wrist actigraph, and mothers and children completed a seven-day sleep diary.

Mother and child sleep parameters (e.g., total sleep time, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, awakenings); maternal insomnia severity, mood, and stress; child sleep habits.

Mothers of children with ALL reported greater insomnia compared to controls, which was correlated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and stress. Maternal groups did not differ on diary- and actigraph-measured sleep outcomes; both groups experienced sleep fragmentation. Children with ALL took longer to fall asleep and had more variable sleep patterns.

Actigraph and sleep diary data indicated adequate maternal sleep duration and sleep latency. Self-reported insomnia severity in mothers of children with ALL suggested sleep fragmentation that may be undetected by these measures.

Oncology nurses are in a unique position to identify sleep problems in mothers and children with ALL, which may lead to recommendations for improved sleep and referrals for treatment.