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Insomnia in Infants and Young Children

Judith A Owens, Maile Moore

    Pediatric Annals
    |September 12, 2017
    PubMed

    Insights

    Behavioral interventions effectively treat childhood insomnia, improving sleep and family well-being without harming social-emotional development. This guide helps pediatric providers manage infant and young child sleep issues.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric sleep medicine
    • Child psychology

    Background:

    • Infant and young child sleep problems are common and often overlooked.
    • Chronic sleep disruption negatively impacts children's daytime function and family life.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To guide pediatric providers in identifying, evaluating, and treating insomnia in young children.
    • To highlight the efficacy of behavioral interventions for childhood insomnia.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of evidence supporting behavioral interventions for childhood insomnia.
    • Guidance for clinical practice in pediatric sleep assessment and management.

    Main Results:

    • Behavioral strategies yield reliable and lasting improvements in sleep for most young children.
    • These interventions can enhance child and family well-being.
    • No adverse effects on social-emotional development were observed.

    Conclusions:

    • Behavioral interventions are a safe and effective first-line treatment for childhood insomnia.
    • Pediatric providers play a crucial role in addressing infant and child sleep disorders.
    • Early identification and treatment of sleep problems improve overall child and family health.

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