A systematic review and meta-analysis of behavioral sleep interventions for adolescents and emerging adults

In the United States, more than two-thirds of adolescents and one-third of emerging adults report habitual short sleep duration, which is a known risk factor for psychological distress. The primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of behavioral sleep-promoting interventions on the sleep characteristics (e.g., total sleep time and sleep efficiency) of adolescents and emerging adults (aged 12-25 y) who do not have a sleep disorder. The secondary aim was to determine the effect of behavioral sleep-promoting interventions on psychological distress. Multiple electronic databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English. Fourteen RCTs were included in the qualitative synthesis (N = 932), seven were included in the meta-analysis (n = 711) to address the primary aim, and three (n = 253) were included to address the secondary aim. The pooled standardized mean difference for sleep-promoting interventions after treatment for total sleep time was 34.92 min (95% CI: 8.70, 61.14). Sleep-promoting interventions had no significant effect on sleep efficiency. More RCTs that involve adolescents and emerging adults are needed to determine the effect of sleep-promoting interventions on reducing psychological distress in this high-risk age group.