Infant and toddler sleep research: A narrative review of developmental shifts, clinical guidelines, parenting practices, assessments, and interventions

Abstract

Over the past 25 years, several aspects of infant sleep remain unchanged including infant sleep need and the developmental, neurological, and physiological processes that influence sleep-wake regulation. However, our understanding of these processes has grown along with our understanding of how sleep can be developmentally consequential. The global boom of technology in the past 25 years has influenced several aspects of infant sleep while also providing a wealth of new tools for sleep research and interventions. Building on this technological shift, within this review we will summarize the pediatric sleep field’s research-based growth in (1) developmental sleep shifts from birth to toddlerhood, (2) consensus statements on infant sleep recommendations, (3) mounting evidence on the connections between sleep and development in other domains, (4) the bi-directional relations between infant sleep and parenting behaviors (e.g., bedtime routines, emotional availability, sleep-related cognitions, technology use, sleep location), (5) shifts in infant/toddler sleep assessment tools, and (6) behavioral sleep intervention approaches. The last sections outline areas of challenge and future focus – including improving diverse representation across samples/studies, leaning into sleep assessment advances, and the application of implementation science to existing evidence-based practices.