Management of infant sleep problems in a residential unit.
Torrens House provides a short residential programme for families with a baby (8-12 months of age) identified by parents as having a sleep problem such as waking frequently at night and being difficult to settle. The programme involves the promotion of infant self-settling by the use of a controlled crying technique, together with wrapping, cessation of night feeds and establishment of a day-time routine. Twenty families (with 23 babies) were followed through the programme and for 3 months afterwards. There were significant decreases in the number of times the babies woke, the number of night-feeds and the length of time awake at night at 1 month follow-up, with a reduction in depressive symptomatology of the parents and a perceived improvement in their infants' behaviour. Twenty of the 23 babies were sleeping well at 3 month follow-up.
Leeson
R
R
Child, Adolescent & Family Health Service, Adelaide, South Australia.
Barbour
J
J
Romaniuk
D
D
Warr
R
R
D001521:Behavior Therapy; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012112:Residential Facilities; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013021:South Australia