Department of Psychology
Research project: Sleep well – child's play
Many children have problems falling asleep and sleep all through the night. If the problem exists, it often becomes chronic. Our research shows up: sleep problems in childhood persist mostly over years with consequences for mental and physic development. Thus, the research project "good sleep for young children" aims to provide strategies for healthy and good sleep, both preventively and as an intervention.
Evidence for sleep disorders in children
- Difficulties to fall asleep
- Difficulties to sleep all through the night
- Rejection to go to bed
- Fear of sleeping alone or only sleeps in parental bed
- Only falls asleep under certain terms
- Wakes up very early in the morning
- Very unregular sleeping times
- No fatigue in the evening or very late
- Quite difficult to awake in the morning
If one or more of these issues apply to your child, he or she may be suffering from a sleep disorder.
The Mini-KiSS Training
Target group and background
The treatment program is aimed for parents of children with sleep problems aged 0.5 to 4 years. With the Mini-KiSS sleep training, parents can receive support to help their children sleep better and, above all, more independently.
Content
During the training sessions, parents learn about the possible reasons that can cause children's sleep roblems and how they can change them. Additionally, detailed information about healthy child sleep, influencing factors and close to everyday life possibilities will be imparted.
Behavioral strategies like tips for parenting, rules for healthy sleep, creative sleep solutions and effective token systems are used. Besides, imaginative methods e.g. relaxation exercises or mental silence pictures for stress reduction are deployed. The stuffed leopard 'Kalimba' supports the children in learning new sleep strategies.