Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia and Sleep Disturbances in School-Aged Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Insomnia and related sleep disturbances are prevalent among youth and are associated with adverse consequences, including poorer psychiatric functioning. Behavioral sleep interventions, ranging from brief educational interventions to behavioral therapies (cognitive behavior therapy-insomnia), are associated with positive outcomes for pediatric sleep health. In addition, sleep interventions may improve psychiatric health for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental and internalizing disorders. Additional research is necessary to clarify the efficacy of these interventions over the long-term and across demographic groups; however, evidence suggests incorporating behavioral sleep strategies may prove beneficial to pediatric patients with sleep disturbances and related psychiatric complaints.

Keywords: Adolescents; Behavioral intervention; Behavioral therapy; Behavioral treatment; Children; Cognitive behavior therapy–insomnia; Insomnia; Sleep.