ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2016
The impact of dexamethasone and prednisone on sleep in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk factors for steroid-induced adverse psychological reactions and sleep problems in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A systematic review.Psycho-oncology · 2021Pooled it
- A psychoeducational sleep health intervention for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during maintenance therapy: a proof-of-concept pilot study.Journal of pediatric psychology · 2026Article
- Evaluating Sleep in Pediatric Cancer: A Scoping Review of Assessment Tools for Quality and Care.Cancer medicine · 2025Article
- Leptin Increase During Dexamethasone and Its Association With Hunger and Fat in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024Article
- Physical frailty deteriorates after a 5-day dexamethasone course in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, results of a national prospective study.Cancer medicine · 2023Article
- Article
- Sleep disorders in children with asthma.Pediatric pulmonology · 2022Review
- Prevalence of Sleep Disturbances in Pediatric Cancer Patients and Their Diagnosis and Management.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Article
- The impact of maintenance therapy on sleep-wake rhythms and cancer-related fatigue in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020Article
- Childhood Cancer Symptom Cluster: Leukemia and Health-Related Quality of Life.Oncology nursing forum · 2019Article
- The relationship between child and caregiver sleep in acute lymphoblastic leukemia maintenance.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2018Article
- Gaps in Parental Understanding of Sleep Disturbances During Maintenance Therapy for Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology nursingArticle
- Symptoms in Children Receiving Treatment for Cancer-Part I: Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance, and Nausea/Vomiting.Journal of pediatric oncology nursing : official journal of the Association of Pediatric Oncology NursesReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeCorticosteroids can affect sleep patterns, mood, and behavior. Two of the most commonly prescribed corticosteroids in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), dexamethasone and prednisone, may impact sleep differently, but no research has compared these medications in children. The current study tested the hypothesis that dexamethasone and prednisone differentially affect sleep in children with ALL to understand how these medications contribute to health-related quality of life (HRQL).
methodsParents of 81 children 3-12 years old in maintenance therapy for ALL completed a baseline measure of child sleep (dexamethasone n = 55, prednisone n = 26), and 61 parents returned 28 days of child sleep diaries starting the first day of a 5-day steroid course (dexamethasone n = 43, prednisone n = 18). Parents also completed measures of HRQL and fatigue on the last day of steroids and the last day of the month.
resultsAt baseline, parents reported more sleep disturbances in children taking dexamethasone than prednisone. Across the month, children taking dexamethasone experienced poorer sleep quality compared to children taking prednisone. During corticosteroid treatment, children taking dexamethasone also experienced more night awakenings than children taking prednisone. Sleep variables accounted for almost half of the variance in HRQL during time off steroids and also significantly contributed to fatigue during the corticosteroids course and time off corticosteroids.
conclusionsSleep is an essential component of HRQL in children taking corticosteroids, and the impact on sleep is more pronounced in children taking dexamethasone compared to prednisone. Screening for sleep disturbances and offering brief interventions to manage steroid-related sleep disruptions may improve HRQL.
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