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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 Mar 1;21(3):529-541.
doi: 10.5664/jcsm.11456.

A sleep promotion program for insufficient sleep among adolescents: a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial

Jessica C Levenson  1   2   3 , Tina R Goldstein  1   4 , Meredith L Wallace  1 , Rachel Witt  5 , Allison G Harvey  6 , Daniel Buysse  1   3 , Dana L Rofey  1   2   3   4 , Brian Suffoletto  7 , Elizabeth Miller  2   3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A sleep promotion program for insufficient sleep among adolescents: a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial

Jessica C Levenson et al. J Clin Sleep Med. .

Abstract

Study objectives: We examined the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a sleep promotion program (SPP).

Methods: This pilot trial randomly assigned adolescents (13-15 years of age) with insufficient sleep duration and irregular sleep timing to SPP-continuation (n = 24; SPP in month 1, continuation treatment in month 2) or monitoring-SPP (n = 20; monitoring in month 1, SPP in month 2). SPP included 1 clinician session and at-home delivery of web-based reports of each youth's sleep diary data with accompanying intervention questions that prompt youth to engage in sleep behavior change. Attrition rate primarily measured feasibility. Program satisfaction measured acceptability. Total sleep time, sleep timing, and sleep timing regularity were measured via sleep diary at baseline, Follow-up 1, and Follow-up 2 (each ∼1 month apart). Linear mixed-effects models compared treatment arms on changes in sleep from baseline to Follow-up 1 (month 1). We also compared changes in sleep during month 1 to changes in sleep during month 2 among SPP-continuation participants.

Results: Attrition rate was 8.5%, and 96.5% of participants rated the quality of care received as good or excellent. In month 1, SPP-continuation youth showed a significantly greater increase in mean total sleep time than monitoring-SPP youth (0.57 vs -0.38 hours; contrast = 0.95; confidence interval = 0.14, 1.76; P = .024). SPP-continuation participants showed an increase in total sleep time during month 1 (0.51 hours) but a decrease during month 2 (-0.74 hours; contrast = -1.24; confidence interval = -2.06, -0.42; P = .005). No other significant effects were observed.

Conclusions: SPP is highly feasible, acceptable, and associated with a significant increase in total sleep time early in treatment.

Clinical trial registration: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Targeted Intervention for Insufficient Sleep among Typically-Developing Adolescents; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04163003; Identifier: NCT04163003.

Citation: Levenson JC, Goldstein TR, Wallace ML, et al. A sleep promotion program for insufficient sleep among adolescents: a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial. J Clin Sleep Med. 2025;21(3):529-541.

Keywords: behavioral treatment; irregular sleep; sleep duration; youth.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript. Work for this study was performed at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. This study was supported by K23HD087433. J.C.L.’s effort is supported by grant funding from National Institutes of Health (NIH). Funding sources did not play any role in the design, conduct, or reporting of this study. J.C.L. receives royalties from American Psychological Association Books, grant funding from NIH, and was on the Membership Committee of the Sleep Research Society during the conduct of this work. M.L.W. is a paid statistical consultant for Health Rhythms, Noctem Health, and Sleep Number Bed, unrelated to the current work. A.G.H. receives book royalties from Guildford Press, Oxford University Press, and the American Psychological Association, grant funding from NIH, and occasional honoraria for conference keynotes and clinical workshops. D.L.R. receives funding from NIH and from VA Pittsburgh Health System. T.G.R. receives funding from the Pittsburgh Foundation, NIH, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and she receives royalties from Guilford Press. E.M. receives royalties for writing content for UpToDate Wolters Kluwer not related to the content of this manuscript. D.J.B. is a paid consultant for Sleep Number; has received grant/contract support from NIH, PCORI, AHRQ, VA and Sleep Number; serves as President of the Sleep Research Society; and is an author of questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Addendum for PTSD (PSQI-A), Brief Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (B-PSQI), Daytime Insomnia Symptoms Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Diary, Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire, and RU_SATED (copyrights held by University of Pittsburgh). These instruments have been licensed to commercial entities for fees by the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Buysse receives a portion of the licensing fees, paid to him by the University of Pittsburgh. He is also co-author of the Consensus Sleep Diary (copyright held by Ryerson University), which is licensed to commercial entities for a fee by Ryerson University. Dr. Buysse receives a portion of the licensing fees from the University of Pittsburgh through its agreement with Ryerson University. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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