Infant Sleep and Sleep Skills

Good sleep among infants and young children is important for their physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. Sleep issues among infants and young children are often identified by their caregivers. Common sleep issues include difficulties settling to sleep, frequent night waking, and excessive nighttime crying. Many times, behavioural sleep interventions, such as the “crying it out” method or “sleep training”, are recommended to parents as a solution. However, there is not enough evidence to recommend any specific behavioural sleep intervention for infants and young children. Instead, it is recommended that parents learn about normal sleep development and address any concerns affecting their child’s quality of sleep, such as feeding issues or parental anxiety.