Effects of an intervention aimed at reducing night waking and signaling in 6- to 12-month-old infants

This quasi-experimental one-group pre- and posttest pilot study evaluated an intervention aimed at reducing night waking and signaling for infants between 6 and 12 months of age. Thirty-nine healthy infants and their parents were recruited. Thirty-five infants completed the intervention and data collection. Both parents participated in a group teaching session with telephone follow-up for 2 weeks. Actigraphy and sleep diary data were collected at baseline and 6 and 16 weeks postintervention. We hypothesized a decrease in length and number of infant waking and crying periods and an increase in longest night sleep and nap time. Following the intervention, infants had significantly reduced length of night crying and number of wakes and longer night sleep periods. The intervention warrants evaluation with a randomized controlled design.