Behavioral Interventions for Infants with Awakening and Nighttime Crying

Parents reported significant improvement within 1 week and a high success rate by 2 weeks.

The effectiveness of behavioral sleep intervention (BSI) to reduce infant awakening and nighttime crying has been well documented. To better understand the benefit of BSI outside of a clinical setting, investigators surveyed 652 parents from a Facebook peer-support group (Respectful Sleep Training/Learning) and asked them to describe their experience implementing BSI for their infants and toddlers (mean age, 5.6 months; range 1–18 months) using four approaches:

Modified extinction (used by 50% of parents): Parents left the room and returned, usually at intervals of 5 to 25 minutes, and then stayed to reassure the infant for approximately 1 minute.
Unmodified extinction (used by 35%): Parents left the room and let the infant “cry it out.”
Paren…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

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Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Behavioral Interventions for Infants with Awakening and Nighttime Crying

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Reviewing Author