A new study led by UWA is seeking children with ADHD and sleep problems to test a new behaviour-based sleep intervention.
Children with ADHD commonly experience sleep problems, which can worsen ADHD symptoms and affect their behaviour the following day.
Now, a team of researchers from the University of Western Australia (UWA) is testing a new approach to help children get a good night’s sleep.
The new project is aimed at children who are five to 12 years old and seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of a new online sleep intervention to improve sleep in these children. The project is led by Maya Malkani, a PhD candidate at UWA’s School of Psychological Science, working under the supervision of Associate Professor Carmela Pestell, also from UWA.
According to Ms Malkani, the proposed intervention may help children and their families get a good night’s sleep. “The intervention aims to alleviate such bedtime behaviours by providing families with evidence-based strategies to help improve sleep as well as provide a guide to establish a good sleep routine and pre-bedtime behaviours,” Ms Malkani told Medical Forum.
About the project
ADHD affects about 281,200 children and adolescents and 533,300 adults in Australia, according to a 2019 report. People diagnosed with ADHD can experience symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Young children with ADHD also experience difficulties initiating sleep or maintaining sleep throughout the night, which can affect their behaviour and ADHD symptoms, as well as affecting their family’s quality of sleep.
Previous research has shown that a face-face intervention known as the Sleeping Sound© programme was an effective way to treat sleep disturbance in children with ADHD. Now, the team at UWA wanted to test if an online version of this programme would be just as effective.
“We felt it was important to investigate the effectiveness of delivering the Sleeping Sound © programme online given the increased use of technology in recent years, as well as potential difficulties of those living in regional areas to access face-to-face treatment,” Ms Malkani said.
“Further, given the current COVID-19 environment, there has been a greater reliance on Telehealth treatments,” she added.
According to Ms Malkani, implementing the programme in an online format could provide greater accessibility of this treatment without compromising effectiveness.
What to expect
The new project is expected to run until December 2022 and participants will be expected to commit about five hours of their time. Each participant will need to complete an initial meeting with the research team, two one-hour treatment sessions and a follow-up phone call. Participants will also be required to complete questionnaires and a sleep diary over three-months period.
According to the team, participating in this project will results in various benefits. “Participants will receive a free sleep intervention, and hopefully improved sleep for the child (and their families). They will also receive evidence-based strategies to assist their child with the sleep difficulties they experience,” Ms Malkani told Medical Forum.
For the future, Ms Malkani says that a long-term follow-up of the intervention to assess the potential sustained benefits of this online programme may be useful. “Future research may explore the relationship between sleep, ADHD, and attachment qualitatively. For example, exploring more about the parent-child relationship and its potential relationship with sleep disturbance,” Ms Malkani said.