Behavioral Sleep Interventions in Preschool Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Presenter: Jessica Mary Applebaum

Faculty Sponsor: Christine Woodward St Laurent

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Kinesiology

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, Auditorium, A26

ABSTRACT

Although systematic reviews of sleep interventions for school-age children demonstrate modest improvements in sleep outcomes, less evidence has been synthesized in early childhood. Moreover, most reviews lack representation of children with developmental disabilities, who may exhibit a differential response to sleep interventions. Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of behavioral interventions on sleep outcomes in preschool-aged children with developmental differences. Methods: A systematic search of databases was conducted in PubMed (NCBI), APA PsycInfo (EBSCO), APA PsycArticles (EBSCO), CINAHL Complete (EBSCO), SPORTDiscus with Full Text (EBSCO), Web of Science Core Collection & BIOSIS Citation Index (Clarivate), Scopus, and CENTRAL (Wiley Cochrane Library). The inclusion criteria were: (1) children between 33 and 72 months, (2) children with developmental differences, (3) behavioral intervention, (4) at least one sleep health-related outcome, (4) written in English, and (5) empirical, original research designs. Results: Nine articles, published between 2013 and 2024, were included. Developmental domains included Angelman Syndrome (n = 1), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, n = 5), general developmental delay (n = 1), and mixed diagnoses (n = 1). All studies reported significant beneficial effects on one more sleep metrics. Articles also highlighted improvements in child behavior (n = 3), partial benefits in parenting factors (n = 2), and positive usability and acceptability (n = 1). Conclusions: Findings suggest behavioral interventions generally improved sleep and behaviors in preschool children with developmental differences. Future reviews should examine direct child sleep measures, diverse populations, and long-term effects. 

RELATED ABSTRACTS