Continuous White Noise to Reduce Resistance Going to Sleep and Night Wakings in Toddlers

ABSTRACT

White noise generators were turned on at 75 dB at bedtime and kept on all night to treat resistance going to sleep and night wakings in one-year-old toddlers. In a multiple baseline design four sets of parents recorded duration of resistance going to sleep, number of night wakings, completed surveys of their child's feeding and sleeping patterns and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI). Three of four toddlers were sleeping better at the end of treatment; however, one child's night wakings returned at follow-up when white noise was discontinued. All parents were comfortable with the white noise and most would recommend it to others. White noise may be effective for childhood night wakings and resistance going to sleep without being combined with other validated treatments.

KEYWORDS:

• Infant sleep
• white noise
• night wakings
• resistance going to sleep