Sleep Research

There is a lot of noise out there on the internet. As much as I would love to take the credit for all of my pediatric sleep knowledge…. it’s not my personal discovery or research, lol. I just relay information that has already been researched and share it in a way that hopefully makes more sense than a peer reviewed article does to a tired parent.

Here are some links to some fascinating studies done on pediatric sleep, sleep training, parent-child attachment, and more! I hope this helps you to feel confident in the decisions you make about your child’s sleep!

Resources + Citations

SLEEP TEACHING + TRAINING

SLEEP HYGIENE + ENVIRONMENT

Citation: Mindell, J.A., Meltzer, L.J., Carskadon, M.A., Chervin, R.D. (2009). Developmental aspects of sleep hygiene: Findings from the 2004 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll. Sleep Medicine, 10(7):771-779. Doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2008.07.016

Link: Click here.

Findings: “Overall, this study found that good sleep hygiene practices are associated with better sleep across several age ranges. These findings support the importance of common US-based recommendations that children of all ages should fall asleep independently, go to bed before 9:00 PM, have an established bedtime routine, include reading as part of their bedtime routine, refrain from caffeine, and sleep in bedrooms without televisions.”

Citation: Spencer, J. A., Moran, D. J., Lee, A., & Talbert, D. (1990). White Noise and sleep induction. Archives of disease in childhood, 65(1), 135-137. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1792397/#

Link: Click here.

Findings: “We studied two groups of 20 neonates, between 2 and 7 days old, in a randomized trial. Sixteen (80%) fell asleep within five minutes in response to white noise compared with only five (25%) who fell asleep spontaneously in the control group. White noise may help mothers settle difficult babies.”

Citation: Spruyt, K., Aitken, R.J., So, K., Charlton, M., Adamson, T.M., & Horne, R.S. (2008). Relationship between sleep/wake patterns, temperament and overall development in term infants over the first year of life. Early Human Development, 84(5), 289-96. Doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.07.002

Link: Click here.

Findings: “Our findings highlight the importance of considering maturational and regulatory aspects of sleep when evaluating infant daytime behavior. We suggest that concerns regarding sleep characteristics should become a significant aspect of clinical assessment and diagnosis of developmental delay or behavior problems, particularly in the first year of life.”

Citation: Tham, E. K., Schneider, N., & Broekman, B. F. (2017). Infant sleep and its relation with cognition and growth: A narrative review. Nature and Science of Sleep, 9, 135–149. Doi: 10.2147/NSS.S125992

Link: Click here.

Findings: “The reviewed studies support a critical and positive role of infant sleep in cognition and physical growth.”

PARENT-CHILD ATTACHMENT

PARENTAL MENTAL HEALTH + SLEEP

SAFE SLEEP, BED-SHARING/ CO-SLEEPING + SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

Citation: Carpenter, R., McGarvey, C., Mitchell, E. A., Tappin, D. M., Vennemann, M. M., Smuk, M., & Carpenter, J. R. (2013). Bed sharing when parents do not smoke: Is there a risk of SIDS? an individual-level analysis of five major case–control studies. BMJ Open, 3(5). Doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002299

Link: Click here.

Findings: “Bed sharing for sleep when the parents do not smoke or take alcohol or drugs increases the risk of SIDS. Risks associated with bed-sharing are greatly increased when combined with parental smoking, maternal alcohol consumption and/or drug use. A substantial reduction of SIDS rates could be achieved if parents avoided bed sharing.”

Citation: Erck Lambert, A. B., Parks, S. E., Cottengim, C., Faulkner, M., Hauck, F. R., & Shapiro-Mendoza, C. K. (2019). Sleep-related infant suffocation deaths attributable to soft bedding, overlay, and wedging. Pediatrics, 143(5), 1-8. Doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-3408

Link: Click here.

Findings: “Fourteen percent of sudden unexpected infant death cases were classified as suffocation; these cases were most frequently attributed to soft bedding (69%), followed by overlay (19%) and wedging (12%). Median age at death in months varied by mechanism: 3 for soft bedding, 2 for overlay, and 6 for wedging. Soft-bedding deaths occurred most often in an adult bed (49%), in a prone position (82%), and with a blanket (or blankets) obstructing the airway (34%). Overlay deaths occurred most often in an adult bed (71%), and infants were overlaid by the mother (47%). Wedging deaths occurred most often when the infant became entrapped between a mattress and a wall (48%).”

Citation: Li, D. K., Willinger, M., Petitti, D. B., Odouli, R., Liu, L., & Hoffman, H. J. (2006). Use of a dummy (pacifier) during sleep and risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): Population-based case-control study. BMJ: British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.), 332(7532), 18–22. Doi: 10.1136/bmj.38671.640475.55

Link: Click here.

Findings: “Use of a dummy [pacifier] seems to reduce the risk of SIDS and possibly reduces the influence of known risk factors in the sleep environment”

Citation: Scheers, N.J., Rutherford, G.W., Kemp, J.S. (2003) Where should infants sleep? A comparison of risk for suffocation of infants sleeping in cribs, adult beds, and other sleeping locations. Pediatrics, 112(4), 883-889. Doi: 10.1542/peds.112.4.883

Link: Click here.

Findings: “Reported deaths of infants who suffocated on sleep surfaces other than those designed for infants are increasing. The most conservative estimate showed that the risk of suffocation increased by 20-fold when infants were placed to sleep in adult beds rather than in cribs. The public should be clearly informed of the attendant risks.”