# Sleep Disturbances and Long-term Outcomes after Critical Illness in Children

> **NIH NIH K23** · SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2022 · $167,832

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Annually 250,000 critically ill children are admitted to 350 pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) in the United
States. Most (>97%) survive, however many critical illness survivors suffer significant long-term health
impairments that result in lower quality of life (HRQL) and increased health care use. Acute sleep deficiency is
common following critical illness. However, limited knowledge exists of the potential impact of deficient sleep
on markers of health following critical illness such as physical and mental health, HRQL, or health services
utilization. Thus, the primary objective of this proposal is to systematically document for the first time the
impact of sleep deficiency on health, quality of life, and health care utilization in children surviving critical
illness. The central hypothesis is that sleep deficiency persist and negatively impact health following critical
illness. Candidate. Dr. Cornelius Groenewald is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology
and Pain Medicine at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. With the support of an
interdisciplinary team of mentors, this award provides him an unparalleled opportunity to develop a unique skill
set in sleep research in children with critical illness. Through the training plan the candidate will obtain
specialized training in 1) sleep medicine and physiology, 2) actigraphy monitoring to assess sleep in children,
3) digital health interventions with children 4) qualitative and mixed-methods research, 5) research design and
statistical methods for longitudinal research and clinical trials, and 6) experiential learning in grant writing.
Research. The research plan involves 2 studies: 1) a prospective cohort study using objective and subjective
measures of sleep over 12 months in children with critical illness and controls (80=critically ill and 40=age and
sex matched controls)(study 1), and 2) a qualitative study to understand child and parent perspectives on
managing sleep deficiency following critical illness (study 2). Primary aims are to 1) characterize the nature,
trajectories, and impact of sleep deficiency experienced by children following critical illness (study 1), 2) identify
risk factors associated with persistent sleep deficiency over 12 months in children following critical illness
(study 1), and 3) identify, directly from children and their parents, perspectives on the barriers and facilitators of
implementing interventions to manage sleep deficiency following critical illness (study 2). The combination of
strong mentorship team, specialized career development training, and proposed research projects will allow
Dr. Groenewald to gain the expertise needed to develop two streams of research: 1) an R01 multisite,
observational study aimed at determining mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances following critical illness,
and 2) a R21 pilot trial to test a technology-delivered sleep self-management intervention in children...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10374875
- **Project number:** 5K23HL138155-05
- **Recipient organization:** SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Cornelius Botha Groenewald
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $167,832
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10374875

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10374875, Sleep Disturbances and Long-term Outcomes after Critical Illness in Children (5K23HL138155-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10374875. Licensed CC0.

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