Sleep Friendly
Hospitals Task Force

Aim

To produce standards to promote sleep friendly paediatric inpatient settings worldwide based on international multi-professional expert consensus and user participation.

Background

To produce standards to promote sleep friendly paediatric inpatient settings worldwide based on international multi-professional expert consensus and user participation.

Chairs

Megan Thomas (MBChB, PhD) and Cathy Hill (BM, ES, MSc, PhD)

Members

Megan Thomas (Canada), Cathy Hill (UK), Saadoun Bin-Hasan (Kuwait), Robyn Stremler (Canada), Moya Vandeleur (Australia), Nicola Orlov (USA), Andrea Fidler (USA), Sapna Kudchadkar (USA), Guanghai Wang (China), Kate Chan (Hong Kong SAR), Mirja Quante (Germany)

Methods

  1. Systematic review 
  2. Delphi study to achieve consensus on standards
  3. Engagement of children and young people with experience of hospitalization

Progress (July 2026)

Systematic review of sleep promoting interventions for hospitalized children and their caregivers

Led by Andrea Fidler (Philadelphia Children’s Hospital). Protocol is published in Prospero – see https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420250623073. Scope includes papers in English, Spanish and Chinese languages. This is a large review with 164 articles requiring data extraction. Undergraduate and post-graduate junior academics in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and China have worked collaboratively on data extraction. Preliminary data were presented in a symposium at IPSA 2026. Expected submission date for publication early 2027.

Delphi Survey

Led by Dalhousie University, Canada, a Delphi survey was distributed via the IPSA membership. Participants at various rounds included 76 multi-professional contributors from 23 countries and regions. Based on 3 survey rounds five overarching consensus standards were agreed, each with 5/6 auditable criteria.

Findings were presented in a symposium at IPSA 2026 and are under review for publication.

User engagement

Led by Tubingen University (Germany) survey on consensus standards has been created to pilot with local user group in Germany. Plans are underway to extend this to international user groups later in 2026.

Summary

The findings from these taskforce workstreams will be synthesised for submission to Sleep Medicine in 2027.