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Simple behavioral treatments can help your child sleep better

	If your children are not sleeping through the night by the age of 2, they may have a sleep problem. Turn to ConsumerReportsHealth.org for information on the simple bedtime and sleep routines that can reduce your child’s sleep problems.
	Subscribe to ConsumerReportsHealth.org to find out which children are at increased risk of sleep problems and what to do about it.

We've brought together the best research about sleep problems in children, and weighed the evidence about ways to prevent and treat it. You can use our information to talk with your doctor and decide which treatments are best for your child.

Key points about sleep problems in children

• Children with sleep problems usually take a long time to fall asleep at bedtime, or wake up often during the night and have trouble falling back to sleep.
• There is evidence that regular, calming routines at bedtime (also known as good sleep hygiene) can help reduce bedtime tantrums, enabling children to go off to sleep more quickly.
• Sleep training, where you don’t respond immediately to your child’s cries for attention, can help your child settle down and sleep through the night.
• Many parents find it less distressing to institute sleep training gradually. For example, they may wait two minutes to respond to their child’s cries on the first night and four minutes on the second night, to a maximum of 20 minutes.
• Sleep problems are often worse in children with physical or learning disabilities, including children who have epileptic seizures, autism or ADHD.

Not all children who occasionally wake in the night have sleep problems that need treatment. But if your child is over the age of 2, and for three months or more has either had problems settling down three or more times a week or has awakened during the night three or more times a week, then your child has a serious sleep problem.

We encourage you to read our entire condition report and to consult with your doctor to learn more about sleep problems in children. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, you’ll have access to our expert research and recommendations, and you’ll be more confident and knowledgeable about which treatments are best for your child.