Can Weighted Blankets Help Children with ADHD Sleep Better?

What you need to know

• Many children with ADHD have trouble sleeping, which can negatively impact their health, behavior, and school performance
• Weighted blankets are sometimes prescribed to help with sleep, but there is limited evidence on whether they actually work
• This study will test if weighted blankets improve sleep and other outcomes in children with ADHD compared to regular blankets
• The researchers will measure sleep objectively using wrist devices and through questionnaires filled out by children and parents
• The study will also look at whether weighted blankets are cost-effective and explore children’s and parents’ experiences using them

Why is sleep important for children with ADHD?

Getting enough good quality sleep is important for all children, but it’s especially crucial for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Between 25-50% of children with ADHD have sleep problems, which can make their ADHD symptoms worse and lead to other issues.

When children don’t get enough sleep, it can negatively affect many aspects of their lives:

• It’s harder for them to pay attention and control their behavior during the day
• They may have more trouble learning and performing well in school
• It can impact their mood and increase anxiety or depression
• Their overall physical and mental health may suffer
• They may engage in more risky behaviors

On the flip side, when children with ADHD sleep well, it can help improve their focus, behavior, thinking skills, and overall wellbeing. That’s why finding effective ways to help these children sleep better is so important.

What are weighted blankets and how might they help?

Weighted blankets are heavier than normal blankets or comforters, typically weighing between 5-30 pounds. They are designed to provide deep pressure stimulation, similar to the feeling of being hugged or held.

Some of the proposed benefits of weighted blankets for sleep include:

• Helping calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety
• Increasing serotonin and melatonin production to promote relaxation and sleepiness
• Decreasing nighttime movement/restlessness
• Creating a cozy, secure feeling that may make it easier to fall asleep

Weighted blankets have become increasingly popular and are sometimes prescribed by doctors or occupational therapists for children with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and other conditions. However, there is limited scientific evidence on whether they actually improve sleep or other outcomes.

What will this study investigate?

This study aims to provide more concrete evidence on whether weighted blankets are effective for improving sleep in children with ADHD. Specifically, the researchers want to determine:

1. If weighted blankets improve sleep and other health-related outcomes compared to regular blankets
2. Whether weighted blankets are cost-effective
3. How children and parents experience using the weighted blankets

How will the study work?

The researchers will recruit 100 children aged 6-13 who have recently been diagnosed with uncomplicated ADHD and have sleep problems. The study will use a crossover design, meaning each child will try both a weighted blanket and a regular blanket for 4 weeks each.

Here’s an overview of how it will work:

1. Children will be randomly assigned to start with either the weighted blanket or regular blanket
2. They’ll use that blanket for 4 weeks
3. Then they’ll switch to the other type of blanket for 4 weeks
4. After trying both, they can choose which blanket they want to keep using
5. There will be an 8-week follow-up period

Throughout the study, the researchers will collect data in several ways:

• Wrist devices (actigraphs) that children wear to objectively measure their sleep
• Questionnaires filled out by children and parents about sleep, ADHD symptoms, anxiety, quality of life, etc.
• Interviews with some children and parents about their experiences

This approach will provide both objective data on sleep patterns as well as subjective reports from families on how the blankets impact various aspects of the children’s lives.

How will they measure if the blankets improve sleep?

The main things the researchers will look at to determine if the weighted blankets improve sleep are:

• Sleep onset latency: How long it takes to fall asleep after getting into bed
• Total sleep time: The total amount of time actually spent sleeping
• Sleep efficiency: The percentage of time in bed that is spent sleeping
• Wake after sleep onset: How much time is spent awake during the night after initially falling asleep

They’ll measure these objectively using the wrist devices as well as through questionnaires. The researchers consider a 30% improvement in how long it takes to fall asleep to be meaningful.

What other outcomes will they measure?

In addition to sleep, the study will look at whether weighted blankets impact:

• ADHD symptoms like inattention and hyperactivity
• Anxiety levels
• Overall wellbeing and quality of life
• School attendance and performance
• Parents’ work productivity and absences
• Healthcare appointments and medication use

This will provide a comprehensive picture of how weighted blankets may affect various aspects of life for children with ADHD and their families.

How will they determine if weighted blankets are cost-effective?

The researchers will conduct a cost-utility analysis to determine if weighted blankets provide good value. This involves looking at:

• The costs of implementing weighted blankets (purchasing blankets, doctor/therapist time to prescribe them, etc.)
• Potential cost savings in other areas (reduced medication use, fewer doctor visits, less missed school/work, etc.)
• Improvements in quality of life

They’ll use this data to calculate the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained from using weighted blankets. This is a standard measure used to determine if health interventions are cost-effective.

What’s unique about this study?

There are a few key things that make this study stand out:

1. It’s the first randomized controlled trial testing weighted blankets specifically in children with ADHD
2. It uses both objective sleep measures and questionnaires to get a complete picture
3. It looks at cost-effectiveness, which hasn’t been studied before for weighted blankets
4. It includes interviews to understand children’s and parents’ experiences

By taking this comprehensive approach, the study aims to provide strong evidence on whether weighted blankets are truly effective for helping children with ADHD sleep better.

Why is this research important?

Currently, many children with ADHD are prescribed medications to help with sleep problems. While these can be effective, they often come with unwanted side effects. There’s a lot of interest in finding non-drug approaches that can help improve sleep.

Weighted blankets are already being used, but without solid evidence that they work. This study will help determine if they are actually effective or if prescribing them is a waste of time and money.

The results could impact clinical practice by providing doctors with better guidance on whether to recommend weighted blankets. It may also influence whether health insurance companies decide to cover the cost of weighted blankets for children with ADHD and sleep issues.

Conclusions

• This study aims to provide concrete evidence on whether weighted blankets improve sleep and other outcomes for children with ADHD
• It will use objective sleep measures, questionnaires, and interviews to get a comprehensive picture of the effects
• The results could impact clinical recommendations and insurance coverage for weighted blankets
• Even if weighted blankets aren’t found to be effective, the study will provide valuable data to guide treatment for sleep problems in children with ADHD