Comparative efficacy and acceptability of sleep interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Researchers are planning a large study to find out which treatments work best for sleep problems in autistic children and teenagers. They will look at different types of treatments including medications like melatonin, therapy approaches, and light therapy. This study aims to help families and doctors make better decisions about which sleep treatments to try first.

This protocol outlines a planned systematic review and network meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of different sleep interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The study will examine pharmacological interventions (such as melatonin), psychological approaches (like cognitive behavioral therapy), and physical interventions (including bright light therapy). The research will analyze randomized controlled trials to determine which interventions are most effective for improving sleep onset latency and other sleep measures. The network meta-analysis approach will allow direct and indirect comparisons between different treatment options, providing evidence-based guidance for clinicians and families.

Once completed, this network meta-analysis will provide comparative effectiveness data to help clinicians and families choose between different sleep interventions for autistic children, potentially improving treatment selection and outcomes.

This is a protocol paper with no results yet available. The actual limitations will depend on the quality and quantity of studies identified during the systematic review process.

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently experience sleep problems. Although various pharmacological, behavioral, and physical interventions have demonstrated efficacy in improving sleep among children with ASD, the relative effectiveness of these interventions remains unclear. We will conduct a systematic literature search to identify randomized controlled trials that evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological (e.g., melatonin), psychological (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy), and physical (e.g., bright light therapy) interventions for sleep problems in children with ASD. We will search PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, major trial registries, and regulatory agency websites.

We will assess the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 (RoB 2.0) tool for primary outcome and the Risk Of Bias due to Missing Evidence in Network meta-analysis (ROB-MEN) tool for the bias due to missing network evidence. A network meta-analysis (NMA) will be performed to compare the included interventions. The primary outcome will be sleep onset latency, while secondary outcomes will include other sleep variables, all-cause dropouts, and sleep disturbances assessed using standardized measures. We will assess confidence in NMA(CINeMA).

Our NMA aims to provide evidence-based insights into the effectiveness of sleep interventions for clinicians, children with ASD, and their caregivers. This information will help guide treatment decisions and improve the quality of life for children with ASD and their families. PROSPERO CRD42024592795.