Cited by 43Infant Health and DevelopmentSleep and related disordersPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Optimizing parent-infant sleep from birth to 6 months: a new paradigm

Whittingham, Koa, Douglas, Pamela·2014·Infant Mental Health Journal

Abstract

Currently, the dominant paradigm for infant sleep from birth to 6 months is behavioral sleep interventions that aim to entrain the infant's biological patterns of sleep using techniques such as delayed response to cues, feed-play-sleep routines, sleep algorithms, and education of parents about "tired cues" and "overstimulation." A recent systematic literature review has identified that while behavioral sleep interventions may modestly increase the length of time an infant sleeps at night without signaling, they are not associated with improved infant or maternal outcomes and may have unintended negative consequences (Douglas & Hill, 2013). This article reviews the empirical literature on behavioral infant sleep interventions, sleep regulation, and sleep disturbance. Based on the available scientific literature, a new paradigm for infant sleep intervention, from birth to 6 months of age, is proposed. This new approach, the Possums Sleep Intervention, integrates interdisciplinary knowledge from developmental psychology, medical science, lactation science, evolutionary science, and neuroscience with third-wave contextual behaviorism, acceptance and commitment therapy, to create a unique, new intervention that supports parental flexibility, cued care, and the establishment of healthy biopsychosocial rhythms.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/imhj.21455

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Authors
Whittingham, K., & Douglas, P.
Affiliations
The University of Queensland (AU)
Corresponding author
Whittingham, Koa
Venue
Infant Mental Health Journal
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2014-07-28
Volume
35
Issue
6
Pages
614-623
ISSN
  • 0163-9641 (ISSN-L)
  • 1097-0355
OpenAlex
W1927718101
Cited by
43
References
60
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4
FWCI
0.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Infant Mental Health Journal (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
infant sleep, behavioral sleep interventions, sleep regulation, sleep disorders, acceptance and commitment therapy, overstimulation, maternal outcomes
MeSH terms
Algorithms, Behavior Therapy, Breast Feeding, Child Development, Cognition, Cues, Humans, Infant, Infant Care, Infant, Newborn, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Sleep, Sleep Wake Disorders, Infant Behavior

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