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Chronic illness may not only directly impact the sleep of a patient but also indirectly impact the sleep of the family members who provide nighttime care. For parents of children with chronic illnesses, few studies have examined sleep disruptions that may account for elevated rates of depression and fatigue. Our objectives were to examine sleep patterns and causes of sleep disturbances in caregivers of children with and without chronic illnesses and to determine whether sleep mediates the relationship between a child's chronic illness and daytime functioning in caregivers.

A total of 118 mothers of children with ventilator dependency (VENT), cystic fibrosis (CF), or healthy children (HEALTHY) completed a series of self-reported measures during a structured telephone interview, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the 24-Hour Sleep Patterns Interview, the Child Health Questionnaire …