Sleep deficiency affects an estimated 20-30% of children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. This lack of quality sleep is a serious problem for these children, as it is associated with increased arthritis symptoms, poorer health-related quality of life, and increased utilization of healthcare. Children receive no training in self-management strategies to improve the quantity and quality of their sleep before transitioning into adolescence.
The SLEEPSMART research study team at the University of Washington School of Nursing and Seattle Children’s will be developing and testing a technology-based intervention to help children with JIA and their parents with sleep shared-management. In order to create an intervention that takes directly into account the needs of the children and parents who will be using it, our research will include input directly from them before the design of the intervention, as well as testing of the intervention once it has been created.