Supporting healthy sleep: a qualitative assessment of adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents

Poor sleep health is common in adolescence due to a combination of physiological, psychosocial, and environmental factors. Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may be at increased risk for poor sleep health due to physiological and behavioral aspects of diabetes and its management. This article describes a qualitative analysis of interviews with adolescents with T1D and their parents about facilitators and barriers to sleep health and family strategies to balance teens' sleep with competing demands.

Separate interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents with T1D and 20 parents. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Participants were on average 15.8 ± 1.2 years old, 45% female, and 85% non-Hispanic White.

Overnight diabetes management was the most frequently reported barrier to sleep. Families reported different strategies for taking responsibility of overnight diabetes management, which differentially impacted sleep. Families worked to balance diabetes management and sleep with other aspects of adolescent life, including school demands, social activities, and electronics use. Facilitators to healthy sleep identified by families included diabetes assistive technology and maintaining a consistent sleep/wake schedule. Both adolescents and parents voiced beliefs that their diabetes care team is not able to help with sleep health.

Pediatric psychologists should be aware of the specific sleep barriers experienced by adolescents with T1D and their parents. A focus on overnight diabetes management strategies may facilitate psychologists' support of families in the adolescent's transition to independent diabetes management. Research is needed on the impact of optimizing sleep health in adolescents with T1D.