Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jan 28;32(1):5.
doi: 10.1186/s41155-019-0118-3.

Behavioral intervention for sleep problems in childhood: a Brazilian randomized controlled trial

Renatha El Rafihi-Ferreira  1 , Maria Laura Nogueira Pires  2 , Edwiges Ferreira de Mattos Silvares  3
Affiliations

Behavioral intervention for sleep problems in childhood: a Brazilian randomized controlled trial

Renatha El Rafihi-Ferreira et al. Psicol Reflex Crit. .

Abstract

Background: Sleep problems are common in children and can have an effect on behavioral and emotional functioning. Despite the importance of sleep for children's health, there is a lack of studies on this topic in Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of behavioral intervention for sleep problems in young children and to investigate the effects on their daytime behavior.

Methods: Sixty-two children (ages 1-5; M = 2.3, SD = 1.3) with bedtime problems and night waking were randomized to a parent-based intervention or a wait list control group. After the waiting period, the wait list participants were offered treatment. The intervention was composed of five sessions over 2 months, during which the parents were educated on their child's sleep and received guidance on the establishment of sleeping schedules and routines and on the use of extinction and positive reinforcement techniques. Sleep patterns and behavior problems were assessed with parent-report measures. Sleep patterns were also assessed with actigraphy. Assessments were completed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, 1-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up.

Results: Children who received intervention showed greater baseline to post-treatment improvements in sleep latency, night waking, behavior such as resisting going to bed, the desire to sleep with their parents, and daytime behavior than the control group. These improvements were maintained at follow-up.

Conclusions: We concluded that behavioral parent-based intervention is effective in improving the quality of sleep and the diurnal behavior of children. This study provides initial support for use of this protocol in psychology clinics/schools. Brazilian clinical trials registration, RBR-4kxxd5. Retrospectively registered on December 13, 2016.

Keywords: Behavior; Behavioral intervention; Children; Sleep; Sleep problems.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
CONSORT Flowchart Showing the Progression of Participants Throughout the Study
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Difference between the groups in terms of the CSDS scores and total CBCL
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Achenbach TM, Rescorla LA. Manual for the ASEBA Preschool Forms & Profiles. Burlington: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families; 2000.
    1. Achenbach TM, Rescorla LA. Manual for the ASEBA Adult Forms & Profiles. Burlington: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families; 2003.
    1. Adams LA, Rickert VI. Reducing bedtime tantrums: Comparison between positive routines and graduated extinction. Pediatrics. 1989;84:756–761. - PubMed
    1. Allen SL, Howlett MD, Coulombe JA, Corkum PV. ABCs of SLEEPING: A review of the evidence behind pediatric sleep practice recommendations. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2016;29:1–14. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.08.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Blunden S. Behavioural treatments to encourage solo sleeping in pre-school children: An alternative to controlled crying. Journal of Child Health Care. 2011;15:107–117. doi: 10.1177/1367493510397623. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources