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Abstract |
Cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia is well-regarded as an effective treatment for insomnia in adults. Previous studies also suggest that CBT-i can be successfully applied to adolescents experiencing insomnia and other sleep problems, which most commonly involve delayed sleep timing. The recommended treatment involves a combined program of morning bright light therapy, stimulus control therapy, and education about sleep hygiene. Improving sleep pattern regularity by getting up earlier on weekends (i.e., at a time closer to the weekday wake-up time) can play a particularly important role in increasing total sleep time during the week and decreasing daytime sleepiness. Recent research suggests that the school classroom may be a promising arena for the dissemination of sleep interventions for adolescents. However, many of the earlier studies in this area have been plagued by problems such as inappropriate outcome measures, small sample size, lack of control group, and lack of follow-up data. Reporting has also been poor, with a number of studies presented only in abstract form. Results have been mixed: some studies showed improved knowledge about sleep, despite having no data about actual changes in sleep habits or behaviours; another study measured sleep habits but found no change from pre- to post-treatment. Finally, some studies found changes in sleep habits from pre- to post-treatment, although these results must be interpreted with caution due to the previously mentioned problems of small sample size, lack of control group, and lack of follow-up data. A series of two studies conducted by researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, attempted to overcome the limitations of previous research by conducting randomised controlled trials evaluating school-based intervention programs aimed at improving the sleep of adolescents. Full details of these studies can be found in earlier publications; however, an outline of the main findings are presented here, along with recommendations for others planning school-based interventions for adolescent sleep problems. |