Sleep habits in children

TLDR: In general, parents' measures to help their children fall asleep are inappropriate, resulting in problems of falling asleep and night waking, and the most effective way to prevent these problems is to introduce consistent routines in the first few months of life.

Abstract: Background Sleeping problems are common in children. Approximately 10-20 % of infants regularly wake up at night and need help in resettling. Various factors have been associated with night waking such as perinatal problems, family stress, breast feeding and inappropriate sleep behavior. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate sleep behavior in children who visit the pediatrician, as well as the routines followed by parents to get their children to sleep. Methods For a period of 1 year, a questionnaire was given to the parents of children aged between 6 months and 2 years attending for routine check-ups. Results Most parents performed some activity to get their children to sleep. A total of 48.6 % slept with the child in the same room, 53.2 % rocked, picked up, soothed, fed or interacted with their children to help them fall asleep. Regular night waking was found in 10.8 % of children. In these cases, only 7.2 % of parents left their children to fall asleep again alone. Conclusions In general, parents' measures to help their children fall asleep are inappropriate, resulting in problems of falling asleep and night waking. The most effective way to prevent these problems is to introduce consistent routines in the first few months of life. To prevent these problems, primary care pediatricians should provide guidance to parents.