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Helping
Your Child to Sleep Through the Night
An interview
with Dr. Jodi A. Mindell, the author of Sleeping
Through the Night
Interview By Allison Martin
 Jodi A. Mindell is Pediatric Clinical
Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Allegheny University of hte
Health Sciences in Philadelphia. She holds M.S. and Ph.D. degress in clinical
psycyhology, is assoiciate professor of psychology at St. Joseph's University,
and is the author of numerous publications on the subject of pediatric
sleep disorders. Her book, Sleeping
Through the Night, provides practical advice for new parents who crave
a restful night.
What prompted you to write Sleeping through the Night?
Dr. Jodi A Mindell: I wrote Sleeping Through the Night
in response to parents' need for accessible information on how to get
their children to sleep through the night. Parents clearly want a gentler
and kinder approach and a source for what to do when they encounter obstacles.
One of these obstacles, which is usually not addressed elsewhere, is parents
own emotional responses to dealing with their child's sleep problems and
helping them cope with sleepless nights.
What can parents do to help their children get to sleep?
Dr. Jodi A Mindell: The key things that parents can do to help
their children get to sleep is to have a set bedtime (preferably between
7:30 and 8:30), a consistent and soothing bedtime routine, and have their
child fall asleep on his/her own.
What should parents do if their children waken during the night?
Dr. Jodi A Mindell: All children wake during the night. The issue
is whether or not they can return to sleep on their own. A child who can
self-soothe to sleep at bedtime will be able to do so in the middle of
the night. So, the best and easiest thing to do is to teach your child
how to self-soothe at bedtime. Within about two weeks most little ones
start naturally sleeping through the night. During this process, continue
to respond to your child in the middle of the night.
What are some signs of sleep disturbance that parents might want to
be on the lookout for?
Dr. Jodi A Mindell: One of the most common serious sleep disturbances
seen in children is obstructive sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that
occurs during sleep. Some symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring, breathing
pauses, mouth breathing, restlessness, and daytime sleepiness. If you
are concerned about your child's sleep, speak with his/her physician or
contact a sleep center in your area.
Restless legs syndrome is a neurological disorder that is characterized
by a creepy-crawly feeling in the legs at bedtime. People with RLS feel
a need to move their legs to make this uncomfortable feeling go away.
In children, they have difficulty falling asleep and are often running
about the house after being put to bed.
Nightmares are common in all children, especially between the ages of
3 and 6. Nightmares are part of normal development and young children
often have nightmares of monsters and scary things. Children also have
nightmares about specific events that may have worried them or scared
them, such as getting lost in a grocery store or being afraid of a dog.
Although there are no data available, I suspect that nightmares are common
in adopted children, especially around the time of adoption for older
ones. These children are going through many transitions in their lives
which can be disorienting or even frightening. The best way for parents
to handle nightmares is by providing lots of reassurance and comfort.
What advice would you give to parents of babies in the early days
of their adoption?
Dr. Jodi A Mindell: Get help! It will be difficult to predict how
your baby/child is going to respond to sleeping in a new place, possibly
having jet lag, and coping with so many life changes. To start, begin
from the earliest days establishing a quiet routine before sleep time
and continue to build on that as the days and weeks pass. You will clearly
need to respond to your child's sleep cycles during this transitional
period. So, as you may be going through your own jet lag and changes in
your family, make sleep a priority for yourself by napping when the baby
naps and seeing if someone else can help out at night, even if it is just
for the early part of the night so that you can get some sleep and then
take over the rest of the night.
What would you suggest for parents of children adopted at an older
age?
Dr. Jodi A Mindell: Again, expect a time of transition during those
first few weeks, while at the same time establishing good sleep habits.
Develop a consistent bedtime routine, maintain a similar sleep schedule
day to day, and establish a warm and cuddly bedroom that is conducive
to sleep.
What are your future plans?
Dr. Jodi A Mindell: That is always a difficult question as so many
exciting opportunities keep developing. In terms of research, this summer
we are beginning a large scale project on sleep issues in internationally
adopted children and the continuation of another project on sleep in twins.
I am also continuing to work with DuPont Sleep Products on a sleep campaign.
As part of this educational campaign we developed a free booklet entitled
"How to Know When To Throw Your Pillow Away … And Other Tips to Ensure
Sweet Dreams!" that can be gotten by calling 1-800-54-SLEEP. I have
also been working with Walt Disney Records on sleep tips in conjunction
with an upcoming lullabye album. So, as you can see, I keep busy and thoroughly
enjoy balancing both academics and parent education about sleep.
Read the Review
Jodi A. Mindell
is Pediatric Clinical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Allegheny
University of hte Health Sciences in Philadelphia. She holds M.S. and
Ph.D. degress in clinical psycyhology, is assoiciate professor of psychology
at St. Joseph's University, and is the author of numerous publications
on the subject of pediatric sleep disorders. Her book, Sleeping
Through the Night, provides practical advice for new parents who crave
a restful night.
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