A Behavioral-Educational Intervention to Promote Pediatric Sleep During Hospitalization: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective/Background: Hospitalization can contribute to common sleep difficulties in children. Interventions aimed at hospitalized children need to be developed and piloted with rigorous evaluative methods. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a behavioral-educational intervention aimed at increasing nighttime sleep for hospitalized children. Participants: Hospitalized children aged 4–10 years and their caregivers. Methods: A pilot randomized, controlled trial with concealed-group allocation was conducted. Forty-eight hospitalized children (ages 4–10) and their care-givers were randomized to either the Relax to Sleep (RTS) intervention group (n = 24) or the Usual Care (UC) comparison group (n = 24). The RTS intervention was comprised of a one-on-one educational session for the parent that was guided by a standardized booklet containing information on sleep and instructions for training the child in the use of a diaphragmatic breathing exercise. UC participa...