Behavioral Treatment of Multiple Childhood Sleep Disorders

Abstract

Sleep disorders are highlv prevalent among otherwise healthy young children and can be extremelY disruptive to familv life. Treatment was initiated in a multiple baseline fashion for the chronic night waking and nighttime di;t rbance exhibited by a 14-month-old girl. We found that “graduated extinction (gradually increasing the time before attending to the child's crying) resulted in rapid reductions in these sleep disorders. Additionally, data on parental depression and marital satisfaction showed general improvement as a function of improved child sleep patterns. These results are discussed as they relate to the treatment of common childhood behavior disorders and their role in family satisfaction.