Ariel Williamson, Ph.D., DBSM
Assistant Professor
The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health
University of Oregon

“Sleep Well! A Family-Centered and Health Equity-Informed Behavioral Sleep Intervention”

Abstract: Behavioral sleep problems, including insomnia symptoms and poor sleep health, impact up to thirty percent of toddlers and preschoolers and are associated with adverse developmental outcomes. Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic sleep health disparities, due to differential exposure to adverse social and environmental factors, also begin in early childhood. Despite a robust evidence base for treating early childhood behavioral sleep problems, most interventions have been tested with non-Hispanic/Latinx White and/or more socioeconomically advantaged families. In addition, few behavioral sleep interventions have been tested outside of research settings and in accessible contexts, such as pediatric primary care. These clinical research gaps raise questions about whether adaptations are needed to intervention content and delivery strategies to enhance the acceptability, cultural humility, and efficacy of behavioral sleep interventions in primary care. Williamson will highlight the community-engaged research approaches and health equity-informed implementation science principles used to guide her research, and future directions for intervention adaptation, evaluation, and scaling will be discussed.