Research Princess Máxima Center: online sleep course helps young people after childhood cancer

Many adolescents and young adults who have had childhood cancer struggle with sleep problems. Insomnia is the most common. Previous research by Shosha Peersmann shows that only a small portion of this group receives help.

Online sleep course

Previous studies have shown that iSleep helps with sleep problems in different populations, such as women who have had breast cancer. The research at the Princess Máxima Center focused specifically on adolescents and young adults after childhood cancer. Hinke van der Hoek, a PhD- student in the Grootenhuis group, conducted the study and says: ‘The adolescents followed a five-lesson online program that included sleep hygiene, relaxation, and restructuring thoughts about sleep. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the wait-list group. This design is called a ‘randomized controlled trial’, the gold standard for effectiveness studies. [link to article].

Effective sleep intervention

Results of the study show that participants experienced less insomnia and fatigue and improved quality of life. These effects were seen at three and six months and appeared to remain stable at 12 months. This suggests a long-term effect. Participants rated iSleep as helpful and particularly appreciated the opportunity to work independently on their sleep problems within the program.

Worry quarter

In addition to the scientific results, the personal experiences were also special. Hinke van der Hoek says: ‘Despite the fact that it was an online intervention, I built a connection with the participants. They shared their experiences and the positive reactions in the last lesson were nice to hear. The young people reported being more relaxed in bed and less worrying. Some actively practiced a ‘worry quarter’ which helped them better release their thoughts before bed.’

Follow-up research

The success of iSleep opens the door to further implementation. Hinke: ‘Together with the psychology department and pediatric oncologist Raphaële van Litsenburg (also manager care of the LATER clinic), we are looking into whether and how this or similar sleep interventions can be offered structurally within the Princess Máxima Center.’ This would be an important step towards improving the care of young people with sleep problems after childhood cancer.