Experiences of sleep hygiene education as an intervention for sleep problems in children with developmental disabilities: Findings from an exploratory study

Accessible summary Sleep hygiene education (SHE) is a "behavioural" intervention which helps parents create the best sleeping conditions for their child. It is often used to improve sleep problems that children with developmental disabilities have. SHE includes advice around creating bedtime routines, creating a calming bedroom environment and eating healthily. Lots of health and social care professionals use SHE, but there are not many research papers which show the best way to support parents to try out the advice. This research tells the story of nine parents and eleven professionals who have used SHE to help improve children's sleep problems. Their experiences are important in the research literature and will help services such as community children's learning disability teams improve the way SHE is used in the future. Background Sleep hygiene education (SHE) is a familiar intervention for addressing behavioural sleep problems in children with developmental disabilities that involves advising parents on sleep-promoting behaviours; however, it is supported by a limited evidence base. Materials and methods This exploratory study aimed to enhance qualitative understanding and explore stakeholder perceptions about experience, current practice and ideas around the implementation of SHE. Parents of children with developmental disabilities and sleep problems (N = 9) and sleep practitioners (N = 11) took part in semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and data were thematically analysed. Results and discussion The analysis identified four parent themes: Beliefs about sleep problems; Getting professional help; Ways of knowing about sleep; and Visions of sleep support. Two practitioner themes were also identified: Sleep service accessibility and Inconsistent sleep support. Conclusion The findings provide further insight into how parents of children with developmental disabilities experience sleep problems, and how SHE is currently implemented. These have implications for both policy and practice.