Brief treatment for nighttime fears and co-sleeping problems: A randomized clinical trial

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Pediatric Sleep Medicine
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Nighttime fears are a common issue in young children, often leading to co-sleeping and avoidance of sleeping alone.
• These fears can impact child well-being, family dynamics, and sleep quality.
• Parental involvement is crucial in addressing childhood anxiety and sleep disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a brief, parent-based intervention for treating intense nighttime fears in children aged 4-6 years.
• To assess the intervention's impact on co-sleeping, sleep patterns, anxiety, general fears, and behavior problems.
• To determine if treatment effects are maintained at a 3-month follow-up.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 68 children experiencing intense nighttime fears.
• Intervention group received combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based bibliotherapy and a doll.
• Control group was a wait-list; assessments included parent-report measures and child self-report (visual analogue scale) at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• The combined parent-based intervention demonstrated superiority over the wait-list control condition in reducing nighttime fears.
• Significant improvements were observed in co-sleeping patterns, sleep records, anxiety, general fears, and behavior problems.
• Treatment gains were maintained at the 3-month follow-up assessment, indicating lasting effects.

Conclusions:

• The study provides initial evidence supporting the use of CBT-based bibliotherapy plus a doll for treating childhood nighttime fears.
• This intervention can be a valuable addition to standard CBT approaches and stepped care models in clinical practice.
• Parent-based strategies are effective in managing pediatric anxiety and improving sleep-related issues.