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Published on: August 8, 2019
Classification of young children's sleep problems: a pilot study
E E Gaylor1, B L Goodlin-Jones, T F Anders
1Family-Infant Development Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
Insights
Infant sleep behaviors, specifically a self-soothing/signaling index, can predict night waking in toddlers. This finding suggests early sleep patterns are key indicators of later sleep disturbances.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Sleep disturbances are common in early childhood.
- Predicting the trajectory of infant sleep is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if infant sleep patterns predict toddlerhood sleep problems.
- To propose a classification scheme for childhood sleep issues.
Main Methods:
- Videotaped infant sleep at 12 months (n=33) to create a self-soothing/signaling index.
- Telephone interviews at 39 months to assess toddler sleep patterns and problems.
Main Results:
- The infant self-soothing/signaling index at 12 months significantly predicted night waking at approximately 39 months.
- Early sleep behaviors show predictive validity for later sleep issues.
Conclusions:
- Infant sleep behaviors may predict toddler night waking.
- The proposed classification scheme for childhood sleep problems requires further validation.
Objectives:
This study examines videotaped sleep in infancy in an attempt to predict the development of disturbed sleep during toddlerhood. In addition, a tentative classification scheme that quantifies night waking and sleep onset problems in young children is proposed.
Method:
The sleep patterns of 33 children were assessed at two points in time. At 12 months of age (time 1), sleep was videotaped on two consecutive nights. A self-soothing/signaling index for 12-month-olds was constructed. At time 2 (mean age = 39 months), a follow-up telephone interview assessed current sleep patterns and the presence or absence of sleep problems.
Results:
The data suggest that the self-soothing/signaling index obtained at 12 months of age predicts night waking approximately 2 years later.
Conclusions:
The preliminary classification scheme for night waking and sleep onset problems in young children warrants further study. Night waking in toddlers might be predictable from sleep behaviors at 1 year of age.
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