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Treating sleep problems in young children: A randomised controlled trial of a group-based, parent-focused behavioural

Caroline L Donovan1, Amy Shiels1, Melissa Legg1

  • 1School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, QLD, Australia.

Behaviour Research and Therapy
|July 8, 2023
PubMed

Insights

A parent-focused behavioral intervention (BI) significantly improved preschool children's sleep, anxiety, and behavioral symptoms. These improvements in sleep mediated other positive outcomes, though academic achievement was unaffected.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Science
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Sleep problems are common in preschool children and can impact behavior and emotional regulation.
  • Parenting interventions are a key strategy for addressing childhood behavioral and emotional difficulties.
  • Early intervention is crucial for long-term child development and school readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of a group-based, parent-focused behavioral intervention (BI) for preschool sleep problems.
  • To assess the intervention's impact on children's anxiety, behavioral problems, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms.
  • To determine if intervention effects on sleep mediate improvements in other child outcomes and impact school transition/academic achievement.

Main Methods:

  • Randomized controlled trial comparing behavioral intervention (BI) with care as usual (CAU).
  • Participants: 128 preschool children with sleep problems, randomized into BI (N=62) or CAU (N=66) groups.
  • Assessments at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two follow-ups during the first year of school.

Main Results:

  • The BI group showed significantly greater improvements in sleep, anxiety, behavior problems, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms compared to CAU from pre- to post-intervention.
  • Improvements in sleep at post-intervention mediated improvements in anxiety, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms at follow-ups.
  • No significant differences between groups in school transition or academic outcomes were observed.

Conclusions:

  • The parent-focused behavioral intervention (BI) is effective in improving sleep, anxiety, and behavioral symptoms in preschool children.
  • Sleep improvements resulting from the BI play a mediating role in enhancing emotional and behavioral regulation.
  • The BI does not appear to significantly impact school transition or academic outcomes.

Keywords:
AnxietyBehaviour problemsBehaviouralPre-schoolersTreatmentYoung childrensleep problems

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