Practice Patterns and Insomnia Treatment Outcomes From an Evidence-Based Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic

Abstract

Pediatric sleep disorders are common and are associated with significant behavioral and medical morbidity. Pediatric insomnia is the most prevalent pediatric sleep disorder and a frequent complaint in primary care settings. The recognized need for early detection and treatment of pediatric insomnia has prompted a proliferation of research supporting the efficacy of behavioral sleep treatments. However, there are few large-scale studies that have examined insomnia evaluation and treatment in real-world settings. Recently published treatment protocols provide increased clarity about the clinical delivery of evidenced based treatments. Despite advances in the field, there remain gaps in the translation of research findings to practice settings that have practical implications for clinical care. An overarching objective of this article is to demonstrate the feasibility of providing evidence based evaluation and treatment to children clinically referred for insomnia. We report a comprehensive data-driven analysis of the practice patterns and treatment outcomes from a well-established pediatric sleep medicine clinic. These findings expand the limited literature demonstrating the clinical effectiveness (vs. efficacy) of behavioral and cognitive behavior therapy for pediatric insomnia. Implications for practice and clinical effectiveness research are made based on the study findings.