Internet-Delivered Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Sleep Quality in Children With Developmental Delay: Examining the Mediating Role of Bedtime Resistance Behaviors.

Objective: Sleep problems are frequently reported and associated with externalizing behavior problems in young children, especially those with developmental delay (DD). Parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) led to improved sleep in young children with DD, but research has not examined the effect of internet-delivered PCIT (iPCIT) on sleep quality or changes in bedtime resistance behaviors as a mediator. This study examined iPCIT's effect on sleep quality in young children with DD through its impact on bedtime resistance behaviors.

Method: Participants were from a previously completed randomized controlled trial and included 150 children with DD (M age = 36.2 months, SD = 1.0 months) and their caregivers who were randomized to iPCIT or referrals as usual (RAU). Path analyses examined links between treatment condition, post-treatment bedtime resistance, and sleep quality reported at 6-month follow-up.

Results: Treatment condition significantly influenced bedtime resistance behaviors (β = 0.17, 90% CI, [0.04, 0.29], p = 0.01), and these changes, in turn, significantly affected sleep quality reported at 6-month follow-up (β = 0.18, 90% CI, [0.03, 0.33], p = 0.02). Caregivers receiving iPCIT reported fewer bedtime resistance behaviors after treatment and improved child sleep quality at 6-month follow-up than caregivers receiving RAU.

Conclusion: Although effects were smaller than in other studies examining PCIT's effect on sleep, these results highlight how iPCIT led to improved sleep quality in children with DD through changes in bedtime resistance. Further research is needed to explore differences in the effectiveness of in-person versus iPCIT, as well as other mechanisms (such as parenting behaviors) through which iPCIT affects child sleep quality.