Sleep help-seeking behavior of parents with children with insomnia—what counts!

Abstract

Background Insomnia in children is common and causes many mental health problems. Nevertheless, only little is known about influencing factors for sleep help-seeking behavior of parents with children with insomnia. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the duration and severity of insomnia in children as well as to assess the influence of additional mental disorders on insomnia duration and severity. The influence of a child’s insomnia duration and severity on parental sleep help-seeking behavior was examined. Materials and methods Patients at three German outpatient sleep clinics were evaluated. A self-developed parental sleep interview according to the third edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3) criteria was conducted for each child. Additionally, information about insomnia severity and duration, the number of sleep help-seeking efforts, and mental disorders were retrieved from the family registration form. Results A total of 175 children (4–11 years) with a mean insomnia duration of 54 months were included. Insomnia severity was high, with no differences between children with and without comorbid mental disorders. Most parents (88.6%) had made efforts to seek sleep-related help for their child’s insomnia before contacting one of our outpatient sleep clinics. Pediatricians are the most frequently consulted professionals for child sleep problems. Insomnia severity ratings significantly correlated with the number of times professional help had been sought, but not with the number of self-help efforts. Insomnia duration was not correlated with any of the help-seeking measures. Conclusion Insomnia severity, but not insomnia duration, is associated with help-seeking behavior in parents. In the current sample, most parents sought professional help from their pediatrician beside their own efforts to elicit change. In sum, there were no differences between children with and without comorbid mental disorders, neither in terms of insomnia duration nor for insomnia severity. It seems necessary to promote awareness of the consequences of insomnia in children and therefore support earlier parental help-seeking behavior.