Interventions for Infant and Toddler Sleep Disturbance: A Review

ABSTRACT

Sleep disturbance affects nearly 25% of infants and toddlers, resulting in fatigue, stress, and family dissatisfaction. This review describes empirically-based treatments for infant and toddler sleep disturbance involving difficulty settling and night waking, including behavioral and pharmacological approaches. Pharmacological interventions included antihistamines, chloral hydrate, benzodiazepines, and melatonin. Behavioral interventions included extinction and its many variants, positive bedtime routines, scheduled awakenings, and disassociating feeding from sleep-wake transitions. Advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed and suggestions offered for future research.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• infant
• night-waking
• pediatric
• sleep disturbance
• sleep problems
• toddler
• treatment