RecruitingACTRN12621001681842

A brief behavioural sleep intervention for children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: In-person or online?

Effectiveness of differing deliveries of a brief behavioural sleep intervention for children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. A randomised controlled trial.

Sponsor

University of Western Australia

Enrollment

70 participants

Start Date

Nov 24, 2021

Study Type

Interventional

Conditions

Sleep Problems (Sleep-Wake Disorders)

Summary

Approximately, 70-85% of children with ADHD are affected by sleep disturbances, often leading functional impairments. Behavioural symptoms of disrupted sleep include bedtime refusal, night-time awakenings, excessive daytime sleepiness, and inconsistent sleep onset and awakenings from sleep. Within children with ADHD, behaviour-focused interventions have been shown to improve sleep problems, with studies citing reductions in bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and daytime sleepiness. Furthermore, studies have reported improvements in moods, emotions, and social interactions following interventions. This study will expand on current research using the Sleeping Sound intervention to assess efficacy of online delivery compared to previously researched in-person delivery in a novel RCT.

Eligibility

Sex: Both males and femalesMin Age: 5 YearssMax Age: 12 Yearss

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

Sleep problems are extremely common in children with ADHD — affecting up to 85% of them — and poor sleep makes ADHD symptoms worse, affecting mood, behaviour, and school performance. Behavioural sleep interventions, which teach families strategies to improve sleep routines and address bedtime battles, have been shown to help. This study is testing whether an effective in-person sleep programme called 'Sleeping Sound' works just as well when delivered online — which would make it far more accessible to families who can't easily access specialist services in person. Families are randomly assigned to receive the Sleeping Sound intervention either in person or delivered online. Researchers will compare the outcomes across both groups, measuring improvements in children's sleep and daytime behaviour. Your child may be eligible if they are between 5 and 12 years old, have a confirmed ADHD diagnosis from a medical specialist, and their primary caregiver has reported a moderate or severe sleep problem. Families need to speak English, and children with intellectual disabilities, an active medical sleep disorder (like sleep apnoea), or who are currently receiving sleep treatment elsewhere are not eligible.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

The Sleeping Sound intervention (Sciberras et al., 2010) consists of two 50-minute consultation sessions, two weeks apart, and a brief follow-up phone call for the child and their parent(s). This intervention has previously been evaluated in children with ADHD and sleep problems, in a face-to-face delivery (Hiscock et al., 2015; Sciberras et al., 2020). However, the present trial will examine intervention effectiveness based on mode of delivery, i.e., in-person vs. online (via Zoom). The intervention will be delivered by a provisional psychologist (clinical psychology or clinical neuropsychology), under the supervision of experienced clinical psychologists. The sessions will provide the children and their families with psychoeducation about appropriate sleep, and useful skills and techniques to establish to improve sleep challenges. The techniques provided will be tailored to the child's specific sleep challenges. Attendance and session duration will be monitored. Materials will be provided to assist in information delivery. These include handouts about normal sleep, sleep cycles and sleep hygiene practices, and handouts for specific sleep challenges relevant to the child participant. The handouts were specifically designed for the Sleeping Sound programme. During the intervention sessions, the provisional psychologist will briefly discuss the handouts provided. The parents will be advised to review the handouts as much or as little as they feel is necessary. Parents will also be provided with a sleep diary to complete from the first intervention session up to the follow-up phone call. They will be advised to bring this to the second intervention session and have it with them during the follow-up phone call. References: Hiscock, H., Sciberras, E., Mensah, F., Gerner, B., Efron, D., Khano, S., & Oberklaid, F. (2015). Impact of a behavioural sleep intervention on symptoms and sleep in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and parental mental health: Randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 350, h68. Sciberras, E., Efron, D., Gerner, B., Davey, M., Mensah, F., Oberklaid, F., & Hiscock, H. (2010). Study protocol: The sleeping sound with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder project. BMC Pediatrics, 10(1), 1-9. Sciberras, E., Mulraney, M., Mensah, F., Oberklaid, F., Efron, D., & Hiscock, H. (2020). Sustained impact of a sleep intervention and moderators of treatment outcome for children with ADHD: A randomised controlled trial. Psychological Medicine, 50(2), 210-219.

Locations(1)

WA, Australia

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ACTRN12621001681842