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Parents' experiences with sleep problems in children aged 1-3 years: a qualitative study from a health promotion
Gro Sviggum1, Ragnhild Sollesnes1, Eva Langeland1
1a Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health- and Social Sciences , Western Norway University of Applied Sciences , Bergen , Norway.
Insights
Parents of young children with sleep problems often find it challenging to establish healthy sleep regulation. Early, personalized guidance helps parents acknowledge their experiences and develop effective coping strategies for family well-being.
Area of Science:
- Child Health
- Parenting Studies
- Health Promotion
Background:
- Pediatric sleep problems are common in children aged 1-3 years.
- Parental experiences and coping mechanisms are crucial for managing childhood sleep disturbances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of parents with children (1-3 years) experiencing sleep problems.
- To examine these experiences from a health promotion perspective.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews.
- 12 mothers in Norway participated.
- Data analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Main Results:
- Parents reported difficulties with bedtime, falling asleep, and nighttime awakenings.
- Teaching sleep regulation was perceived as time-consuming and difficult.
- Parents utilized coping strategies: acknowledging challenges, self-understanding, implementing changes, and safeguarding family well-being.
- A central theme identified was health-promoting regulation of interactions to enhance children's sleep and family well-being.
Conclusions:
- Individually tailored guidance for parents is essential.
- Acknowledging parental experiences with sleep problems empowers them to cope.
- Setting appropriate goals supports parents in improving children's sleep regulation and overall family well-being.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of parents whose children aged 1-3 years have sleep problems, from a health promotion perspective.
Methods:
This was a qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews with 12 mothers in Norway. The material was analysed by qualitative content analysis.
Results:
Parents experienced problems with getting their children to bed, getting them to fall asleep, and episodes of awakening at night. Parents expressed that it was time-consuming and difficult to teach their children sleep regulation. Parents handled the sleep problems through the following coping strategies: acknowledging challenges, clarifying one's self-understanding, implementing change measures, and safeguarding family well-being. These coping strategies resulted in this main theme: the health-promoting regulation of interactions, including parents' strengthening of sleep regulation in their small children and the safeguarding of well-being in the family.
Conclusions:
Early, individually customized guidance for parents, with a focus on revealing and acknowledging their experiences with sleep problems in children, is essential for parents to find opportunities to cope with such challenges. Appropriate goals seem to be important for them to succeed in strengthening sleep regulation in their children in a more satisfactory way.