Pediatric Sleep Problems: A Clinician's Guide to Behavioral Interventions

by Lisa J Meltzer PhD, Valerie McLaughlin Crabtree

Overview

Sleep problems are common in children. Between 25-40% of youth experience sleep difficulties such as sleep anxiety, insomnia, frequent waking, delayed circadian rhythm, night terrors, and nocturnal enuresis or encopresis at some point during childhood or adolescence. Yet, most healthcare providers receive little if any training in pediatric sleep problems—and most training that does exist tends to emphasize medical rather than behavioral interventions.

This book presents highly effective behavioral interventions for common pediatric sleep problems. Step-by-step instructions show readers how to clinically assess and treat children from toddlers to teenagers, and case examples apply the instructions to real-life scenarios. The authors also provide over 30 handouts and worksheets for parents and children, including sleep logs and directions for a series of creative, at-home interventions, all of which can also be downloaded from a supplemental website.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433819834
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	05/18/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Lisa J. Meltzer, PhD, CBSM, is an associate professor of pediatrics at National Jewish Health. She received her doctorate in clinical and health psychology from the University of Florida, and she completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She was selected as a Pickwick Postdoctoral Fellow in Sleep Research by the National Sleep Foundation, studying sleep patterns in parents of children with chronic illnesses.

Dr. Meltzer is board certified in behavioral sleep medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine, and she directs both the Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Clinic and the Actigraphy Program at National Jewish Health. She also has a funded program of research examining sleep in children with chronic illnesses and their parents, the impact of deficient sleep on health outcomes in adolescents with asthma, as well as the development and validation of objective and subjective measures of pediatric sleep.

Valerie McLaughlin Crabtree, PhD, CBSM, is an assistant faculty member in the Department of Psychology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She received her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi and completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Dr. Crabtree is board certified in behavioral sleep medicine by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and directs the psychology clinic and psychology training programs at St. Jude. Her clinical work and research are focused on sleep in children and adolescents with cancer.

Table of Contents

List of Handouts ix

Foreword Jodi A. Mindell xi

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction 3

I The Basics of Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine 11

1 Typical Sleep Across Development and Healthy Sleep Habits 13

2 Common Pediatric Sleep Problems 31

3 Behaviorism and Essential Concepts for Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine 41

II Clinical Basics for Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine 47

4 Clinical Assessment of Sleep 49

5 Working With Families to Increase Treatment Success 61

III Presenting Problems 73

6 Sleep-Onset Associations and Night Wakings in Young Children 75

7 Bedtime Stalling, Protests, and Curtain Calls 97

8 Nighttime Fears, Anxiety, and Recurrent Nightmares 119

9 Insomnia 143

10 Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase 161

11 Confusional Arousals, Sleep Terrors, and Sleepwalking 175

12 Nocturnal Enuresis 183

13 Nonadherence to Positive Airway Pressure Therapy 195

Appendix A Resources for Clinicians and Families 207

Appendix B Handouts 215

References 259

Index 275

About the Authors 281

Editorial Reviews

This is an excellent book that is easy to read, very practical, and contains 33 useful handouts. It should be in the libraries of all clinicians who address sleep problems in children.”
—Doody's Review Service

“This well-written text represents a clinical practice niche in pediatric psychology that has come of age and is showing its clear relevance for a wide range of child and adolescent functioning.” —PsycCRITIQUES®

“The text is well written, comprehensive, up-to-date, and absolutely practical for day-to-day clinical use. I applaud the authors on their attention to detail, accuracy, and lack of deficiencies. This book is appropriate for medical students, residents, fellows, mid-level providers, pediatric primary care providers (pediatricians, family practitioners), psychologists, and sleep medicine specialists. Even a veteran, experienced sleep specialist will learn something new within these chapters.” —Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

“This is a compelling book that offers clinicians the most complete behavioral intervention guidelines for pediatric sleep problems currently available. The authors were able to translate a vast amount of research into practical application without sacrificing treatment rigor and integrity. The arrangement of chapter by sleep problem also gives clinicians quick access to the most effective treatments.” —New England Psychologist

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, PsyD (Cermak Health Services)
Description: This book presents a behavioral approach to sleep problems in children, with step-by-step guidance. The authors provide useful handouts that can be downloaded from a website.
Purpose: This is a clinical guide designed to "provide clinicians with developmentally appropriate information that will enable them to treat commonly seen behavioral sleep problems" in infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents.
Audience: The audience includes both clinicians and families. Both authors are board certified in behavioral sleep medicine. Lisa J. Meltzer is an associate professor at National Jewish Health. Valerie McLaughlin Crabtree is an assistant faculty member at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Features: The book begins with an introduction to healthy sleep habits and common sleep problems, such as the medical sleep disorders of obstructive sleep apnea, restless-legs syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy, and sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder. It describes commonly seen pediatric sleep problems such as insomnia, recurrent nightmares, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, parasomnias, and nocturnal enuresis. The next part of the book discusses assessment of sleep, which involves taking a sleep history, medical history, family history, as well as keeping a sleep diary and nocturnal polysomnography. The third part explores how to address various problems such as bedtime stalling (transitioning from cribs to beds, setting limits), insomnia (cognitive-behavioral interventions, stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy), and nocturnal enuresis (pharmacological interventions, behavioral interventions, full spectrum treatment). The book is easy to read and contains helpful exhibits and tables. It is very practical and provides guidance on how to manage potential pitfalls. The two appendixes contain resources for clinicians and families and handouts. The handouts are also available on the website.
Assessment: This is an excellent book that is easy to read, very practical, and contains 33 useful handouts. It should be in the libraries of all clinicians who address sleep problems in children.

Doody's Review Service