Behavioral treatment of multiple childhood sleep disorders. Effects on child and family.

Sleep disorders are highly prevalent among otherwise healthy young children and can be extremely disruptive to family life. Treatment was initiated in a multiple baseline fashion for the chronic night waking and nighttime disturbance 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.