Sleep in early childhood: The role of bedtime routines.

Sleep changes rapidly from several shorter periods over 24 hours in the first weeks of life to one nap and one long period of sleep at night by age three. This review covers typical sleep patterns from birth through age three and discusses how parents' attitudes and behaviors change during this period. In addition to parent education about child sleep, we review two behavioral interventions that have been shown to be effective for addressing parent concerns about bedtime resistance and reducing nighttime awakenings. These interventions--beginning about 6 months of age--aim to help parents reduce over-involvement prior to bedtime and in response to night awakenings, to promote their child's ability to self-soothe to sleep. Importantly, establishment of a consistent bedtime routine of 15 to 30 minutes may reduce or prevent both resistance at bedtime and frequent nighttime awakenings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]