Behaviours of Concern and Sleep
We are investigating the links between behaviours of concern and sleep, including the impact of improving sleep on behaviour.
Children and youth with NDDs often have behaviours of concern. These can include behaviour such as violence towards themselves or others. The reasons for these behaviours can be hard to understand, usually need a specialized doctor to help treat, and can lead to many problems for the young people and their families.
Sleep problems are also very common in NDDs. Not sleeping well or not getting enough sleep is known to worsen behaviours of concern. We know that sleep education can be helpful in other groups of youth and their caregivers. Sleep education involves teaching youth and caregivers (such as parents, grandparents) about sleep and providing practical strategies to help youth sleep. However, there is no sleep education intervention specifically for this group of youth and their caregivers. Also, we don’t know if sleep education improves the youth’s behaviours of concern, their sleep, and the stress levels of their caregivers.
To answer these questions, we have invited youth, caregiver, and doctor partners to join our research team. Together, we are creating Nova Sleepcare, a sleep education intervention for youth with NDDs who have behaviours of concern and their caregivers. This will help them learn about sleep problems and how to improve them. We will soon be testing Nova Sleepcare with these youth and their caregivers during a doctor’s appointment. We will check whether it helps with the youth’s behaviours and sleep, and their caregivers’ stress levels. If successful, Nova Sleepcare could be used by more doctors to help youth with NDDs and their caregivers across Canada.
Collaborators:
The PN Lab Advisory Council
Dr. Deborah Dewey PhD RPsych, Professor, Pediatrics, U of C
Dr. Megan Thomas MBScB PhD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Developmental Pediatrician Dalhousie University
Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen PhD RPsych, Associate Professor, Educational and Counselling Psychology, UBC
Dr. Annamaria Richarchson MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Pediatrician, UBC