Improving More than Just Sleep: A Pilot Study of the Lights Out Online Program and its Transdiagnostic Effects on Young Children and their Parents

Sleep problems in young children are highly prevalent and represent a risk factor for numerous detrimental child and family outcomes. This pilot study aimed to test the preliminary efficacy and transdiagnostic impact of an online, parent-focused sleep intervention, the Lights Out Online program, in terms of its ability to a) reduce child sleep, anxiety, and behaviour problems, and b) to reduce parent sleep, depression, anxiety and stress problems, and improve parental self-efficacy. The study was an open (uncontrolled) trial with a within-group repeated measures (pre-treatment, post-treatment) design. Participants were 24 parents (Mage = 36.2, SD = 4.1) of children aged 3-6 years (Mage = 4.1 years, SD = 1.1) with sleep problems. Measures of child sleep, anxiety, and behaviour problems, as well as parental self-efficacy, and parent sleep, anxiety, depression and stress, were taken. A series of mixed-effects linear regression models demonstrated significant improvements in child sleep, child anxiety, child behaviour problems, parent sleep, parent anxiety and parental self-efficacy, from pre- to post-intervention. However, significant improvements were not demonstrated for parent depression and parent stress. Post-program feedback from parents suggested that they were satisfied with the program content and presentation. This study provides preliminary support for the efficacy and acceptability of an online, parent-focused program targeting child sleep problems.