Randomized assignment to a 3-step bedtime routine improved infant and toddler sleep outcomes relative to control¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2018 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In a randomized study of 405 mothers of infants and toddlers (ages 7-36 mo) with sleep problems, the bedtime routine condition showed significant improvements in sleep onset latency, night awakenings, and sleep consolidation by week three, while controls showed no changes. → Mindell Jodi A. 2018

Evidence¶

Mindell Jodi A. 2018¶

Mindell Jodi A., Williamson Ariel A. (2018). Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. Sleep medicine reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2017.10.007

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Randomized study in which "405 mothers of infants and toddlers (ages 7–36 mo)" were assigned to a 30-min three-step routine (bath, massage/lotion, quiet activities) or control. Improvements were caregiver-reported; no effect size is printed.

"From baseline to study week three, caregivers in the bedtime routine condition reported significant improvements in child sleep onset latency, the frequency and duration of night awakenings, and sleep consolidation, while mothers in the control condition reported no changes in child sleep."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• A consistent bedtime routine is associated with better sleep outcomes in young children, with a dose-dependent relationship between nights per week of routine adherence and sleep benefits — related
• Bedtime routine interventions improved maternal mood, maternal confidence, and, in one study, marital satisfaction, beyond child sleep outcomes — related
• A language-based bedtime routine at age 3 predicted longer nighttime sleep duration at age 5 and higher language abilities and receptive vocabulary at age 5 — related
• Evidence linking massage to early childhood sleep is mixed: null in a meta-analysis of infants ages 0-6 mo but positive in small studies of older infants, toddlers, and preschoolers — related