The Effects on Parents' Health of a Pilot Intervention Aimed at Resolving Behavioral Sleep Problems in 6- to 12-Month-Old Infants

Wendy A. Hall, RN, PhD¹, Marion Clauson, RN, MSN¹, Elaine M. Carty, RN, MN², Patricia A. Janssen, RN, PhD³, and Roy A. Saunders, MD⁴. (1) School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, (2) Division of Midwifery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, (3) Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, (4) Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Design: The study was a quasi-experimental one group pilot pre-test and post-test of an intervention to resolve infant behavioral sleep problems.

Sample: Two parent families (n= 40) with healthy 6 to 12 month old infants were recruited through a newborn hotline. Parents' ages ranged from 27 to 53 (yearly family income $10,000 to $110,000+). Partners' time together varied from 13 to 156 months. For 85% of the parents, this was a first child.

Intervention and Outcome Variables: The intervention included a 2 hour teaching and question and answer session on sleep problems and solutions and two weeks of biweekly telephone support. Outcome variables included: parental fatigue, sleepiness, depression, sleep quality and marital harmony.

Methods: Baseline data (time 1) were collected one week before the intervention. The intervention was offered in small group sessions and followed up by telephone support and advice. Six weeks (time 2) and 16 weeks (time 3) post-intervention follow-up data were collected.

Findings: Paired t-tests and multivariate analysis revealed a significant decrease in parental fatigue and depression from time 1 to time 2 with no significant change from time 2 to 3. Parental sleepiness decreased from time 1 to 2 with no significant change from time 2 to 3. There was a significant increase in parental sleep quality from time 1 to 2 with no significant change from time 2 to 3. Marital quality was unchanged from time 1 to 3.

Conclusions: The intervention was effective in improving parental sleep and reducing fatigue and depression, which was maintained at 16 weeks following the intervention.

Implications: An infant sleep intervention that reduces parental depression suggests that infant sleep problems and poor parental sleep quality contribute to parental depression which is a significant problem.

Learning Objective #1: Identify the effects on parents' mental health of a successful intervention for infants with behavioral sleep problems
Learning Objective #2: Describe the elements of a successful intervention for infants with behavioral sleep problems