About
Introduction
Sleep plays a critical role in the physical and mental well-being of adolescents, yet many young people struggle with unhealthy sleeping habits that can have lasting consequences on their health. Inadequate sleep hygiene, combined with the growing use of over-the-counter and prescription sleep medications among youth and their families, highlights the need for accessible, engaging education on safe sleep practices. SleepSMA℞T Families is a novel, theory-driven serious game under development by the CRoME Lab to address this important public health concern.
Purpose
The purpose of SleepSMA℞T is to educate youth and their families on critical aspects of sleep hygiene, over-the-counter and prescription sleep medications, and the risks of unhealthy sleeping habits. The game will be part of a family-focused toolkit, which will include a personalized Family SleepSMA℞T Plan. This comprehensive approach ensures that families not only learn about safe sleep practices through interactive gameplay, but also develop customized strategies to improve sleep health in their own homes.
Goal
Our goal is to empower adolescents and their families with the knowledge and tools needed to develop healthy sleep habits and make informed decisions about sleep medications. By playing SleepSMA℞T, we hope families will learn how to establish effective sleep routines, understand the safe use of sleep-related medications, and recognize the risks associated with poor sleep hygiene. Through these interactive tools, SleepSMA℞T aims to facilitate meaningful family conversations about sleep health and promote better sleep outcomes for the whole family.
Publications
- Folorunsho S, Abraham O, Esiaka DK. Social engagement moderates the relationship between cognitive functioning, depressive symptoms, and restless sleep in older Black adults. Alzheimer's & Dementia. Published online January 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71078
- Abraham O, Schleiden LJ, Albert SM. Over-the-counter medications containing diphenhydramine and doxylamine used by older adults to improve sleep. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy. 2017;39(4):808-817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-017-0467-x
- Abraham O, Schleiden LJ, Brothers AL, Albert SM. Managing sleep problems using nonprescription medications and the role of community pharmacists: older adults' perspectives. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 2017;25(6):438-446. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpp.12334
- Abraham O, Pu J, Schleiden LJ, Albert SM. Factors contributing to poor satisfaction with sleep and healthcare seeking behavior in older adults. Sleep Health. 2016;3(1):43-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2016.11.004
Contact
If you have questions about this research, please contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Olufunmilola Abraham by email: Olufunmilola.Abraham@uky.edu.
If you have questions about the CRoME Lab, our studies, becoming a participant, or want to join the team, please contact the Research Coordinator by email: crome.lab@uky.edu.
The CRoME Lab's mission is to develop, implement, and disseminate novel methods for improving medication safety and health behaviors for vulnerable and underserved populations, while training the next generation of researchers. Projects within the CRoME research core share the common goal of applying community-engaged, collaborative, and transdisciplinary approaches to improving medication use and health outcomes for families through education, prevention, and intervention programs. For more information, please visit our website: https://pharmacy.uky.edu/crome/
Funding Support
Funding information for SleepSMA℞T will be updated soon. For more details about the CRoME Lab's research funding and support, please visit the CRoME Lab website.