title: Caring for children with sleep problems.
abstract: Sleep disturbances are common in infants and children. Sleep disturbances in children not only disrupt the child and family but also impact parental and child well-being, daytime functioning, and behavior. Pediatric nurses care for the individual child as well as their family members. Understanding the importance of healthy sleep habits and the implications of inadequate sleep on child behavior and family-peer interactions provides nurses an opportunity to decrease family stress and increase positive coping, adaptation, and family function. Common types of sleep problems are presented, and recommendations for screening tools are included to help nurses better assess sleep problems in children and make appropriate referrals.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7266, USA. teward@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rankin
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002669:Child Welfare; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care; D007255:Information Services; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology