Are educational interventions able to prevent excessive daytime sleepiness in adolescents?

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of an educational sleep program (ESP) on adolescent sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness. Twenty-one adolescents (13-14 years old) participated in the study. Two groups were formed: experimental (n ¼ 10), subjected to the educational program for sleep (EPS); and Control (n ¼ 11), not subjected to the EPS. Sleep/wake cycle (SWC) data were recorded with actigraphy; subjective sleepiness levels and psychomotor performance were assessed before and after the ESP. The data on sleep patterns, psychomotor performance and subjective sleepiness levels were compared by two-way ANOVA for dependent samples; treatment (before vs. after intervention) and group (control vs. experimental) were considered factors. The results did not show any EPS effect on the adolescents' sleep/wake patterns, subjective sleepiness levels or psychomotor performance. Further studies with different ESPs and ESP strategies should be carried out to evaluate the validity of such programs as a countermeasure to prevent excessive daytime sleepiness among adolescents.

Lessons Learned from Sleep Education in Schools: A Review of Dos and Don'ts

“…Although all studies reported delivering at least basic knowledge about sleep physiology and/or sleep hygiene, the scope and aims of the programs fell into one of two groups; those who sought solely to disseminate information and improve sleep knowledge, 21,[23][24][25] and those who sought to actively change sleep behavior. [17][18][19][20]22,[26][27][28] Seven themes that were identified from the studies are listed below in no particular order:…”

“…Although some sleep education studies have specifi cally targeted problematic sleepers, [16][17][18][19] most have delivered broad based general sleep education programs using a preventative model. [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] School based health education programs such as those targeting physical activity and/or diet are common and effi cacious. 29 However, sleep education is in its infancy.…”

“…There are currently only 12 [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] worldwide published studies of sleep education programs focussed on adolescents (with one in press 30 ) that describe their education programs in suffi cient detail for scrutiny. Many factors may contribute to a successful sleep education program, so it is important to understand what these may be in order to optimize efficacy in future sleep education programs.…”

“…Most studies utilized written documentation in classrooms in combination with didactic teaching modules. [17][18][19][20][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]30 Although all studies showed improvements in sleep knowledge through these methods, many studies reported that students preferred more interactive activities rather than traditional didactic methods. 17,23,26 Indeed, Bakotić et al 21 suggest utilizing graphic designs and interactive sleep activities is more likely to promote interest in the content.…”

“…At best, a randomized, controlled design was identified as the gold standard, undertaken by eight research teams. 17,18,21,22,24,26,28,30 In addition, multi-site trials of the same program 23,26,30 have been undertaken in Australia and New Zealand, which may increase the power of studies to detect change and improve the program, and may well be an additional method of achieving best practice.…”