Interventions to improve sleep in caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cooper, Charlotte J.; Owen, Patrick J.; Sprajcer, Madeline; Crowther, Meagan E.; Craige, Emma A.; Ferguson, Sally A.; Gupta, Charlotte C.; Gibson, Rosemary; Vincent, Grace E.
• Is Part Of: Sleep medicine reviews. Volume 64(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: Unpaid caregivers -- Sleep -- Interventions -- Systematic review -- Meta-analysis; CI confidence interval -- GRADE grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation -- MD mean difference -- PICO population, intervention, comparator, outcome -- PRISMA preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses -- PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews -- PSQI Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index -- RCT randomised controlled trial -- RoB risk of bias; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sleep Disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101658
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0792

Abstract

Summary: Unpaid caregivers often experience sleep impairments as an unintended consequence of providing care. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the efficacy of interventions to improve sleep in unpaid caregivers. Six databases were searched from journal inception to 7-Sep-2021 to identify randomised controlled trials. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated mean differences (MD) at end-of-intervention. Twenty-one studies were identified (15 eligible for meta-analysis). Compared to control, interventions improved sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; 12 studies, 1153 participants, MD = −1.66, 95% CI [−2.91, −0.41], p = 0.009, I 2 = 90.51%, GRADE = low), and total sleep time (hours; two studies, 122 participants, MD = 0.45, 95% CI [0.42, 0.48], p = 0.003, I 2 = 0.00%, GRADE = low), but not sleeping problems (sleep item on Symptom Distress Scale of the Omega Screening Questionnaire; two studies, 529 participants, MD = −0.06, 95% CI [−0.69, 0.58], p = 0.458, I 2 = 0.01%, GRADE = low). There is low quality evidence that interventions improve sleep quality in unpaid caregivers compared to control. Limitations include the lack of evidence for specific intervention modes and limited use of objective sleep measures. Future research should explore potential effect modifiers such as care recipient condition (CRD42021278670).