Parental sleep when their child is sick: A phased principle-based concept analysis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Sleep Medicine
• Parental Health

Background:

• Parental sleep disruption is common when children are ill, affecting parental health and caregiving.
• Existing research on this topic lacks a clear, unified definition, hindering consistent study and application.
• The impact on parents' well-being and caregiving responsibilities necessitates conceptual clarity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and define the concept of parental sleep when a child is sick.
• To clarify the conceptual, operational, and theoretical underpinnings of this phenomenon.
• To identify gaps in current knowledge and establish an evidence-based definition.

Main Methods:

• A phased, principle-based concept analysis using triangulation of methods.
• Systematic literature search across multiple databases (CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, etc.) identifying 546 articles.
• Thematic analysis of 74 selected articles (2005-2021) using NVivo software.

Main Results:

• No precise definition of parental sleep when a child is sick was found in the literature.
• Varied measurement tools and terminology were identified, including interviews, sleep diaries, and questionnaires.
• The concept is closely interrelated with other factors like parental stress.

Conclusions:

• A clear definition of parental sleep when a child is sick is needed to guide research and clinical practice.
• An evidence-based definition is proposed to enhance understanding and consistency in studies.
• Future research should focus on developing a specific measurement tool for this concept.