Sleep coach intervention for teens with type 1 diabetes: Randomized pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Sleep Medicine
• Behavioral Health

Background:

• Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) frequently experience sleep disturbances.
• Poor sleep in T1D is associated with challenges in treatment adherence and glycemic control.
• Optimizing sleep presents a potential strategy for improving health outcomes in teenagers with T1D.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a sleep-promoting intervention for adolescents with T1D.
• To evaluate the preliminary efficacy of the intervention in improving sleep parameters.
• To determine if the intervention impacts diabetes management metrics.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 39 adolescents (13-17 years) with T1D.
• Participants were assigned to either Usual Care or the Sleep Coach intervention (educational materials, 3 telephone sessions).
• Objective sleep data (actigraphy) and subjective sleep quality measures were collected at baseline and 3 months; HbA1c was also recorded.

Main Results:

• The Sleep Coach intervention demonstrated excellent feasibility (80% completion) and acceptability (90% retention).
• Actigraphy revealed a significant increase in sleep duration (48 minutes) and improved sleep efficiency in the intervention group.
• Intervention participants were less likely to report poor sleep quality compared to the control group after 3 months; no significant change in HbA1c was noted.

Conclusions:

• The Sleep Coach intervention is a feasible and acceptable approach for improving sleep in adolescents with T1D.
• The program effectively enhanced sleep duration and quality in this high-risk group.
• Sleep improvement may be a valuable target for managing T1D in teenagers.