A systematic review to explore the feasibility of a sleep intervention for insomnia in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A transdiagnostic approach

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are at high risk for sleep problems, especially insomnia. Insomnia can result in excessive daytime sleepiness, impairments in daytime functioning, and contribute to increased NDD symptoms. Many children do not receive what is believed to be the first line treatment - behavioural intervention. One important barrier is that it is currently not known whether behavioural interventions developed for typically developing children work for children with NDD, and if interventions need to be modified for each diagnostic group. This systematic review aimed to establish commonalities in sleep problems experienced across NDD populations, and evaluate the effectiveness of behavioural sleep treatments for children with NDD.