A new Research Snapshot demonstrating the long-term safety of infant sleep strategies, such as camping out and controlled comforting, is out now.

Many parents consider these behavioural strategies when managing their child’s sleep. A study has found that these strategies not only work in the short- to medium-term, they are safe to use in the long-term.

Almost 60 studies have shown that behavioural sleep strategies can help most families reduce their baby’s sleep problems. This Research Snapshot shares the first-ever long-term follow-up study of a behavioural sleep program.

Led by Dr Anna Price from The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health, the findings of the Kids Sleep Study assessed families from an earlier infant sleep study when the children turned 6 years old. The Kids Sleep Study found that the sleep strategies had no lasting harmful or beneficial effects on children and parents.

The study shows that much of the information available about the long-term effects of behavioural sleep strategies is inconsistent and out-of-date. This is reassuring for parents who may have been incorrectly told that controlled comforting can cause long-term harm. Parents can be reassured that using these techniques is safe for managing infant sleep and associated postnatal depression.

Read the Research Snapshot | Visit the Kids Sleep Study website