Parents’ views on their children’s sleep difficulties and their approach to help seeking: An exploratory study

Background: The impact of sleep on physical and mental health is significant. This is evidenced through a wide range of literature (Williamson et al., 2020). This includes educational and personal outcomes for young people (Konen et al, 2015). The patterns and habits that children form in early life can support them to develop positive sleep habits and routines into adulthood (Sutton et al., 2019). Research has shown that parents can be reluctant to seek support for children’s sleep difficulties (Cook et al., 2020). In a longitudinal study by Williamson et al. (2020), 5107 children were recruited at birth and monitored for sleep difficulties up to the age of 11; almost half the children had some form of reported sleep difficulty. This high prevalence provides further rationale for the current exploratory study. Despite how well-established the importance of sleep is, there is little research into what specifically parents would seek or use in terms of support. Aims and objectives: This research aimed to establish what support parents would like or have sought for sleep difficulties of children aged 3-11 in mainstream primary schools in England. Further aims were to find out what parents consider when deciding whether to seek such help. Methods: The study used a mixed-methods design. Data was collected using an online questionnaire for parents to explore help desired and sought. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore parents’ views, experiences and considerations on their help-seeking journeys. The questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis; and the interview data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA). Results and Conclusions: Analysis of quantitative data is presented alongside key themes identified from qualitative data: Losing Sleep; Weighing it Up; Experiences of Support; Family Matters; What about me? The findings are reviewed in relation to existing literature and implications for educational psychology (EP) practice are highlighted. The strengths and limitations of the study are discussed alongside recommendations for future research. The main implications are the consideration, going forward of the unique position of EPs and how they could be utilised to best support families in which children struggle with the important area of a human’s existence, sleep.