Parents’ experiences with sleep problems in children aged 1–3 years: a qualitative study from a health promotion perspective

ABSTRACT

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Sleep problems
• small children
• parents’ perspective
• health promotion
• qualitative content analysis

Acknowledgments

We want to thank the mothers for sharing their experiences, and the child health clinics for recruiting participants. This work was supported by Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. The authors have not received any funding or benefits from industry or elsewhere to conduct this study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gro Sviggum

Gro Sviggum has a master’s degree in clinical nursing and is a public health nurse. She has a special interest in young children’s health and well-being.

Ragnhild Sollesnes

Ragnhild Sollesnes is an associate professor and a public health nurse. Her research focuses on children’s health and well-being from a health promotion perspective.

Eva Langeland

Eva Langeland is a professor of health science and a psychiatric nurse. Her research focuses on health promotion, salutogenesis, and well-being in different settings and populations.