Hostname: page-component-784d4fb959-k2xtr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-07-17T09:38:09.862Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Parent Management of Sleep Difficulties in Young Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2014

Frederick W. Seymour
Frederick W. Seymour*
Affiliation:
Leslie Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
*
Leslie Centre, 148 Meadowbank Road, Auckland 5, New Zealand
Get access

Abstract

Difficulties in settling children to sleep and night waking are common problems faced by parents with young children. The effectiveness of parent-managed behavioural intervention is examined in this study of four children which employs a multiple-baseline-design across subjects. Components of the intervention included: establishing regular bedtime routines; paying attention to the children before bed in the living areas and staying with the children only briefly when settling them in bed; adopting procedures for ignoring disruptive bedtime behaviour and night waking; and giving praise for appropriate behaviour. Complete success in settling the three children who were difficult at bedtime was achieved in five to fourteen days. Persistent night waking in all four children was eliminated in five to thirteen nights.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 4 , Issue 1 , March 1987 , pp. 39 - 48
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behaviour analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91–97.Google Scholar
Bax, M.C.O. (1980). Sleep disturbance in the young child. British Medical Journal, 1, 1177–1179.Google Scholar
Bergman, R. L. (1976). Treatment of childhood insomnia diagnosed as ‘hyperactivity’. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 7, 199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernal, J. F. (1973). Night waking in infants in the first 14 months. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 15, 760–769.Google Scholar
Blurton-Jones, N., Rossetti-Ferreira, M. C., Farquar-Brown, M., & Macdonald, L. (1978). The association between perinatal factors and later night waking. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 20, 427–434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, J. D., & Edge, D. (1978). Parenting Strategies and Educational Methods. Columbus, Oh.: Charles Merrill.Google Scholar
Court-Dixon, E. B. (1985). Treatment of children's night waking. Unpublished Masters Thesis, University of Waikato, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Ferguson, D. M., Shannon, R. T., & Horwood, L. J. (1981). Night waking in the first two years of life. Unpublished manuscript School of Medicine, University of Canterbury.Google Scholar
Hobbs, S. A., & Forehand, R. (1977). Important parameters in the use of Time Out with children. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 8, 365–370.Google Scholar
Jenkins, S., Bax, M., & Hart, H. (1980) Behaviour problems in preschool children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 21, 5–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellerman, J. (1980) Rapid treatment of nocturnal anxiety in children Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 11, 9–11.Google Scholar
Macdonald, K. A. / Centre, Leslie. (1985). The Sleep Book: Teaching Your Child to Sleep through the Night. Auckland: Reed Methuen.Google Scholar
Milan, M. A., Mitchell, Z. P., Berger, M. I., & Pierson, D. F. (1981). Positive routines: A rapid alternative to extinction for elimination of bedtime tantrum behaviour. Child Behavior Therapy, 3, 13–24.Google Scholar
Ounsted, M. K., & Hendrick, A. M. (1977). The first born child. Patterns of development. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 19, 446–453.Google Scholar
Rapoff, M. A., Christopherson, E. R., & Rappoff, K. E. (1982). The management of common childhood bedtime problems by paediatric nurse practitioners. Journal of Paediatric Psychology, 7, 179–196.Google Scholar
Rappaport, J., Mikkelsen, E., & Werry, J. (1978). Antimanic, anti-anxiety, hallucinogenic and miscellaneous drugs. In Werry, J. (Ed,), Pediatric Psychopharmacology: The Use of Behavior Modifying Drugs in Children. N.Y.Brunner Mazel, p. 316–355.Google Scholar
Richman, N. (1981a). A community survey of characteristics of one to two year olds with sleep disruptions. American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 20, 281–291.Google Scholar
Richman, N. (1981b). Sleep problems in young children. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 65, 491–493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richman, N. (1985). A double-blind drug trial of treatment in young children with waking problems. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 591–598.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richman, N., Douglas, J., Hunt, H., Lansdown, R., & Levere, R. (1985). Behavioural methods in the treatment of sleep disorders—a pilot study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 581–590.Google Scholar
Richman, N., Stevenson, J. E., & Graham, P. J. (1975). Prevalence of behaviour problems in three year old children: An epidemiological study in a London Borough. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 16, 277–287.Google Scholar
Sanders, M. R., Bor, B., & Dadds, M. (1984). Modifying bedtime disruptions in children using stimulus control and contingency management techniques. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 12, 130–141.Google Scholar
Seymour, F. W., Bayfield, G., Brock, P., & During, M. (1983). Management of night waking in young children. Australian Journal of Family Therapy; 4, 217–222.Google Scholar
Seymour, F. W., Brock, P., During, M., & Poole, G. (1983). Management of night waking in young children. Paper presented at New Zealand Psychological Conference, Auckland.Google Scholar
Thomas, A., Chess, S., & Birch, H. G. (1968). Temperament and Behaviour Disorders in Children. N.Y.: N.Y. University Press.Google Scholar
Thomas, E. P. (1982) Night waking in preschool children: An assessment and intervention. Unpublished Masters Thesis, University of Waikato, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Thornton, P., Walsh, J., Webster, J., & Harris, C. (1984). The Sleep Clinic. Nursing Times, 40–43.Google Scholar
Werry, J. S., & Carlielle, J. (1981). Common sleep problems in children under five. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychiatry, University of Auckland.Google Scholar