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Bedtime problems and night wakings in children

Melisa Moore1, Lisa J Meltzer, Jodi A Mindell

  • 1CHOP Sleep Center, 34th Street and Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. jmindell@sju.edu

Primary Care
|August 20, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Behavioral interventions effectively treat common childhood sleep problems like bedtime resistance and night wakings. These methods improve sleep for children and enhance family well-being and daytime functioning.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Bedtime problems and night wakings are prevalent in children.
  • Behavioral interventions are empirically supported for treating these sleep issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the presentation of childhood sleep problems.
  • To discuss empirically validated behavioral interventions.
  • To explore treatment challenges in diverse child populations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on behavioral interventions for pediatric sleep problems.
  • Analysis of treatment efficacy and challenges.
  • Inclusion of data on typically developing and special needs populations.

Main Results:

  • Behavioral interventions such as extinction, graduated extinction, positive routines, and parental education are effective.
  • Most children show significant improvement in sleep with these interventions.
  • Benefits extend to improved family sleep and daytime functioning.

Conclusions:

  • Behavioral interventions are the gold standard for addressing common childhood sleep disturbances.
  • Successful treatment leads to improved child sleep and overall family well-being.
  • Understanding challenges is crucial for effective implementation across different populations.

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