Sleep deficiency is a public health concern in children with a chronic illness such as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) because it is often overlooked in clinical care, attributed to the underlying chronic illness, and contributes to poor health outcomes. Development of an effective technology-based sleep shared-management intervention that integrate children and parents in the co-design and development of the intervention has the potential to improve health outcomes of children living with JIA and their parents.

To develop and test a technology-based sleep shared-management intervention delivered to 8-to-13 year-old children with JIA and their parents. The initial feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the newly developed sleep shared-management intervention will be tested in a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the active intervention against standard care with a sample of 60 children with JIA and their parents. Sleep will be measured using actigraphy, sleep diaries, & self-report measures. Self-efficacy will be measured before and after the intervention. The long-term goal is to develop effective and low cost treatments to reduce sleep deficiency and the sleep-related health consequences among children with JIA. The specific aims are to:

Aim 1. Apply a human-centered design approach to develop and refine a technology-based sleep shared-management intervention (SLEEPSMART). Direct stakeholder input will be obtained from children and parents about their needs for sleep shared-management as well as intervention material adapted from the Transdiagnostic Sleep-Circadian Dysfunction program for youth that includes four cross cutting components (sleep complaint, education, behavior change and motivation, and goal setting) across the modules and a shared- management focus (motivation, self-efficacy) with children and parent partnering together to improve sleep. Qualitative methods (iterative cycles of semi-structured audiotaped sessions with children and parents and think-aloud observation sessions by a trained observer) will be used to evaluate the usability of the SLEEPSMART prototype. Results of these analyses will guide program finalization.

Aim 2. Determine feasibility and initial efficacy of the SLEEPSMART with children with JIA in a pilot RCT. Study accrual and dropout rates will be assessed, as well as, levels of patient acceptability and engagement in a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing usual care to SLEEPSMART intervention. Preliminary effect sizes of the SLEEPSMART will be determined in youth receiving treatment compared to usual care on primary outcomes of actigraphy sleep duration, self-report sleep disturbances, and feasibility/acceptability, and secondary outcomes include self-efficacy.

Inclusion Criteria for Children:

• diagnosed with JIA, 8-13 years, and parent report that child has difficulties with sleep quality (difficulty falling asleep, no bedtime routine, waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to fall back asleep) and/or poor sleep impacts their child's day to day function (school, interacting with peers, hobbies).

Inclusion criteria for parents:

• > 18 years, access to a computer or web-based device to complete the surveys, and residing with the child more than 50% of the time

Exclusion Criteria for Children:

• Diagnosed with a sleep disorder (OSA), positive screen on the pediatric sleep questionnaire for OSA, lack of daily access to the internet, developmental delay, currently taking sleep medication (melatonin), and currently participating in psychological therapy and/or participated in psychological therapy the prior 3 months.

Exclusion criteria for parents:

• diagnosed with a chronic illness that would interfere with ability to complete study procedures

The overall number of baseline participants reflect EACH child and parent( for the SLEEPSMART program 24 dyads child /co-parent dyads received the SLEEPSMART intervention; and 20 children with JIA and their co-parent were in the control group.

Through study completion, an average of 3 months.

Parents/caregiver and children adverse events reporting were combined by dyad since parents and children were enrolled by dyad. It was a shared management intervention where parents partnered with children and the majority of data was obtained via surveys that are typically low risk for adverse events.

1. Single-site pilot trial which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
2. Our follow-up period was limited to one-month post-intervention, and some children and parents may have needed a longer time to see the effects of SLEEPSMART.
3. Study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and stay-at-home guidance may have altered sleep routines and patterns for children and parents.