Treatment Implications of Sleep-Related Problems in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders: A Narrative Review of the Literature

Pediatric anxiety disorders and sleep-related problems (SRPs) are highly prevalent and are associated with serious health or psychopathological consequences. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of the current evidence of the associations between anxiety disorders and SRPs, to examine how this relationship may affect treatment, and to evaluate future directions for the field. Despite their strong bi-directional relationship, SRPs are often neglected in pediatric anxiety literature. There is little consensus on the conceptualization and related measurements of SRPs, which has led to methodological limitations and difficulties. Furthermore, available research suggests that anxiety treatment alone may be inadequate as clinically impairing SRPs were still present post-treatment, which may, in turn, diminish effects of therapy. Understanding the implications of the relationship between anxiety and SRPs on treatment outcomes may be helpful in recognizing opportunities for high impact and enduring interventions.