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Pediatric Sleep Research

The latest findings in baby sleep
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2022 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) safe sleep recommendations

Read the 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for safe infant sleep.

Sleep training could benefit some babies — and their parents

There are many ways to go about sleep training – helping your child learn to fall asleep on her own at bedtime and sleep for longer stretches overnight. Read Erin Chan Ding’s Washington Post article about types and the benefits of sleep training for children and the family.  

Here’s How To Get Your Baby To Sleep In A Crib, Experts Say

Get tips to help your baby learn to sleep in a crib.

For better sleep, borrow the bedtime routine of a toddler

Learn more about how you can change your own sleep habits using steps often in a toddler’s bedtime routine.

Is ‘Momsomnia’ Keeping You Up at Night?

Parents can certainly have difficulty falling and staying asleep even after their young children are sleeping well overnight. Read more about what you can do about those sleepless nights in Jessica Grose’s article and interview with Dr. Shelby Harris at The New York Times.

Secrets of baby sleep: how snoozing helps your baby’s development

What’s going on while your baby is sleeping? How does it help development? Find out from the BBC and our expert, Dr. Alice Gregory.

Infant Sleep Experts Weigh in on 7 Common Myths

Seven sleep myths – put to bed or still up for debate

Is Your Toddler Ready for a ‘Big Kid Bed’?

Wondering if your toddler is ready to transition to a bed? The New York Times gives some guidance along with Dr. Jodi Mindell.

Q&A: Clinicians can use social media to help parents find expert health advice

Social media has a lot of information about sleep aids for children, but very little of it is written by health care professionals.

How Children’s Sleep Habits Have Changed in the Pandemic

Read more about how children’s sleep habits have changed during the pandemic.

How to sleep through a global pandemic

Dr. Alice Gregory talks to Sarah Cox from Goldsmiths University of London about how the pandemic may be affecting sleep health for adults and children, including some tips to help ease the strain.

Encouraging good sleep habits

Read more about healthy sleep habits such as getting enough sleep, healthy bedtime habits, and some tips and tricks for an easy bedtime routine on Indian Link by Dr. Vishal Saddi.  

Insomnia: How to Help Children Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Read more about childhood insomnia and how to help, with some great information from Dr. Michael Gradisar.

Sleep Training Truths: What Science Can (And Can’t) Tell Us About Crying It Out

Listen to experts talk about sleep training myths and truths on NPR.

Go to bed! Brain researchers warn that lack of sleep is a public health crisis.

Societal lack of sleep can be considered a public health crisis. Read this Washington Post article to find out more about the importance of sleep across the lifespan .

Toddlers may sleep better in cribs until age 3

The crib-to-bed transition: but when?!

When Your Baby Is Your Roommate

Learn more information that may help your family make decisions about room-sharing in this New York Times article.

To Help Children Sleep, Go Dark

Did you know that children’s eyes let in more light than adults’ eyes do? Read more here about the importance of a dark evening environment.

Sleep vs. Exercise?

Moms and dads: to sleep or to exercise? Find out here.

How parents tackle bedtime around the world

Bedtimes, bedtime routines, and sleep spaces vary widely by nation and culture.

Parents find older babies sleep better in their own room

Older infants who sleep in their own room tend to sleep better than infants who share a room with their parents.

Mom’s Insomnia Linked to Children’s Sleep Quality, No Link Found to Dad’s Sleep

Child sleep quality is associated with mom’s sleep problems but not necessarily dad’s sleep problems, study finds.

Changing childcare settings can affect sleep

Study suggests that inconsistent childcare arrangements can affect toddlers’ sleep.

Most moms aren’t putting babies to sleep safely, study says

Sleep safety – put babies on their backs to sleep.

Babies Sleep Better In Their Own Rooms After 4 Months, Study Finds

Room-sharing and sleep outcomes in infancy – read this NPR article to learn more.

Sleep intervention training could prevent babies from becoming obese toddlers

Sleep interventions may prevent being overweight in early childhood.

Racial And Ethnic Disparities Persist In Sudden Infant Deaths

Read about continued racial and ethnic disparities in sudden unexpected infant death in this NPR article.

Penn State study: Helpful dads can mean less colicky babies

Having social support relates to fewer reports of colicky, fussy babies.

Kids Who Use Touchscreen Devices Sleep Less at Night

Babies and toddlers tend to get less sleep and have a harder time falling asleep the more touchscreen time they have – but more research is needed to find out why.

When Baby Sleeps Near Mom, Guess Who Doesn’t Sleep Well?

Israeli researchers are reporting that even sleeping in the same room can have negative consequences: not for the child, but for the mother.

How science can make your baby sleep better

Read Drs. Alice Gregory and Erin Leichman take on combining science and family preferences to help your little one sleep on The Conversation’s website.

Improving the sleep of socioeconomically disadvantaged children

Read about how a brochure outlining three simple stories helped families support better sleep hygiene.

Advertisers depict unsafe sleeping environments for infants, study shows

Despite safe sleep recommendations, retailers continue to depict babies in unsafe sleeping environments through retail images.

Volunteer for Sleep Research – REST Study!

Are you pregnant and not sleeping well? Check out a new research study working to help expecting moms sleep better. Participants will receive an online, evidence-based program to improve sleep and up to $60 in gift cards.

Dr. Catherine Hill is on BBC Radio!

Listen to Dr. Catherine Hill on a BBC Radio Ask the Expert segment talk about some exciting pediatric sleep topics!

Sleep Experts Issue Recommendations for Children and Adolescent Sleep

More news about the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s sleep range recommendations for children as well as their mental and physical health.

Self-reported time in bed and sleep quality in association with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in school-age youth

Sonia L. Rubens
Elementary school students report of the amount of time they spend in bed. Sleep quality is associated with internalizing (for example, anxiety, depression) and externalizing (for example, reactive aggression) symptoms.

Development of infant and toddler sleep patterns: Real-world data from a mobile application

Jodi Mindell
Information on newborn, infant, and toddler (0 to 36 months) sleep patterns was collected via a smartphone app. Sleep patterns developed at about 5-6 months old, later bedtimes predicted less sleep, and morning waketimes were generally consistent across children. Unique images from the data collected were created, representing sleep consolidation (sleeping for longer stretches) over a three-year period for both daytime and nighttime sleep.

Evaluating behavioral interventions for infant sleep problems

Michael Gradisar
Two types of sleep training improve falling asleep and overnight sleep, do not relate to adverse stress responses in infants or mothers, and have no long term negative effects on attachment, emotion, or behavior.

Sleep problems in childhood psychiatric disorders

Alice M. Gregory
Learn more about the role of sleep and interventions in childhood psychiatric problems in the context of development.

Sleep problems in children

K. Hannan
Sleep problems are common in childhood, but home-based behavioral sleep interventions implemented by caregivers can help. These interventions can be implemented by caregivers with community health practitioners playing a key role in describing strategies to families.

Pacifier use, finger sucking, and infant sleep

R. Butler
Babies who sucked their fingers, but not necessarily babies who used a pacifier, tended to sleep better overnight (fewer night wakings and longer stretches of sleep), a recent study showed.

The development of a screening questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea in children with Down syndrome

Emma Sanders
Many children with Down syndrome also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Development of a screening tool for OSA specifically for children with Down syndrome is
described.

Melatonin treatment in children with developmental disabilities

A.J. Swichtenberg
For children with developmental disabilities, melatonin is generally associated with taking less time to fall asleep at bedtime in addition to uncommon and mild side effects.

Sleep and health related quality of life in parents of ventilator-assisted children

Lisa Meltzer
Caregivers (mothers and fathers) of children who require ventilator assistance to breathe have poor sleep as compared to caregivers of healthy children. Poor sleep for these families was associated with health related quality of life.

Sleep in pediatric primary care

Sarah Honaker
Learn more about how the primary care setting (your doctor’s office) is a great place to screen for and manage your child’s sleep difficulties. Also, learn more about the barriers to effectively addressing sleep in those settings, as although sleep problems are frequent actual screening and management rates are low.

Longitudinal study of sleep behavior in normal infants during the first year of life

Oliviero Bruni
Study on sleep in the first year of life suggests that sleep shows the most stability between 6 and 12 months and prevention efforts should focus on the first 3 to 6 months. Approximately 10% of babies in the study were considered to have problematic sleep.

Controversies in behavioral treatment of sleep problems in young children

Jocelyn Thomas
Learn about potential controversies related to treating sleep problems in young children such as which strategies have the most empirical support, the best age to begin to use these strategies, and any possible negative consequences of using these strategies.

Childhood restless legs syndrome

Jose Carlos Pereira, Jr.
Learn more about restless legs syndrome in this review from experts in the field.

Parental concerns about infant and toddler sleep assessed by a mobile app

Jodi Mindell
The research team analyzed more than 1,000 sleep-related questions that were submitted to an Ask the Expert section of a publicly available smart phone app for sleep in young children. Caregivers asked questions primarily about night wakings, sleep schedules, and bedtime problems.

Bed sharing, room sharing, and solitary sleeping

Robyn Stremler
According to this study, the choice to room or bed share varies by family and changes over time for families of newborns from 6 weeks to 12 weeks after birth. Bed sharing at any frequency was quite common (41 to 51% depending on baby age), and was associated with more sleep disruption for moms.

Sleep in new mothers and fathers

Hawley E.
Read up on moms’ and dads’ sleep right after they have a little one.

An update on bedtime problems and night wakings in young children

Sarah Honaker
Read a review of information about evidence-based treatments for bedtime problems and night wakings in young children.

Prevalence of habitual snoring and its correlates in young children across the Asia Pacific

Li A.M.
Prevalence of habitual snoring shows racial differences among countries across Asia Pacific, based on a study of over 23,000 infants.

Behavioral sleep problems and development of executive function

Kathryn Turnbull
Read a review about the developmental context of sleep as it relates to self-regulation and executive functioning in childhood.

Evaluation of a behavioral treatment package to reduce sleep problems in children with Angelman Syndrome

Keith D. Allen
A set of behavioral strategies to reduce chronic sleep problems in five children with Angelman Syndrome was evaluated. Parents were highly satisfied with the treatment and improvements in disruptive bedtime behaviors as well as falling asleep were noted.

Evaluating sleep and sleep disorders in the pediatric primary care setting

Debra Babcock
Parents and caregivers should be asked about their children’s sleep at every routine physical examination. Educating families about the importance of sleep is an important intervention that can be delivered in a pediatric primary care setting.

Helping preschool-age children get to sleep and stay asleep

Graham Reid
See Dr. Reid talk about strategies to help your preschooler get to sleep and stay asleep more easily.

Bedtime problems and night wakings: Treatment of behavioral insomnia of childhood

Melisa Moore
Read a case study and treatment options for bedtime problems and night wakings.

Cross-cultural differences in infant and toddler sleep

Jodi Mindell
Sleep patterns of over 29,000 infants and toddlers in several countries in predominantly Asian countries and predominantly Caucasian countries were analyzed. Overall, children from predominantly Asian countries had significantly later bedtimes, shorter total sleep times, increased parental perception of sleep problems, and were more likely to room-share than children from predominantly Caucasian countries/regions.

Relationships between sleep and behavioral problems in toddlers

Graham Reid
Sleep problems in toddlers, including night wakings and bedtime resistance, are predictors of internalizing (for example, anxiety) and externalizing (for example, hyperactivity, aggression) behavioral problems.