ArticleJMIR pediatrics and parenting2022
Evidence-Based Behavioral Strategies in Smartphone Apps for Children's Sleep: Content Analysis.
Article in JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Safer Sleep Guidance in Standalone UK Smartphone Apps for Parents of Newborns and Infants: Systematic mHealth App Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of a Mobile-Based Intervention for Parents of Children With Crying, Sleeping, and Feeding Problems: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2023Trial
- Capturing typical toddler sleep in context: A videosomnography study.Sleep health · 2026Article
- Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Technical Report.Pediatrics · 2026Review
- The Power of Pediatric Sleep: Shaping Healthy Evidence-Based 24/7 Lifestyles for Generation Alpha.Pediatric discovery · 2025Article
- Promoting sleep and mental well-being in children: Protocol for a naturalistic pilot in-app study among users of the Aumio app.PloS one · 2025Article
- App-based intervention for parents of children with crying, sleeping, and feeding problems: Usability, usefulness and implications for improvement.Internet interventions · 2024Article
- Identifying and developing strategies for implementation of a guided internet- and mobile-based infant sleep intervention in well-baby and community mental health clinics using group concept mapping.BMC health services research · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEmpirically supported treatments for pediatric sleep problems exist, but many families turn to other sources for help with their children's sleep, such as smartphone apps. Sleep apps are easy for families to access, but little evidence exists regarding the validity of the services and information provided in the developer descriptions of the apps.
objectiveThe goal of this study was to examine the features and claims of developer descriptions of sleep apps for children.
methodsA search of the Apple iTunes store and Google Play was conducted using the terms "kids sleep," "child sleep," and "baby sleep." Data on the type of app, price, user rating, and number of users were collected. Apps were analyzed in comparison with evidence-based behavioral strategies and were thematically coded on the basis of claims provided in developer descriptions.
resultsA total of 83 app descriptions were examined, of which only 2 (2.4%) offered sleep improvement strategies. The majority were sound and light apps (78%) and 19% were bedtime games or stories. Only 18 of 83 (21.6%) apps were identified as containing empirically supported behavioral sleep strategies. Despite this, many apps asserted claims that they will help children "fall asleep instantly," "cry less and sleep better," or improve child development.
conclusionsA large variety of sleep apps exist for use among children, but few include evidence-based behavioral strategies according to the developer descriptions of the apps. Addressing sleep difficulties in children is important to promote physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Collaboration between sleep researchers and technology developers may be beneficial for creating evidence-supported apps to help with children's sleep in the future.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.