Sleep

The maturation of sleep–wake patterns is one of the most striking phenomena in early child development. The evolution from extended sleep around the clock to a shorter and more consolidated sleep occurring mostly at night is a rapid maturational process. Sleep problems and disorders are a source of great concern to many parents and professionals. The evolving sleep patterns are influenced by many factors including biological, medical, and psychosocial ones. Sleep problems or insufficient sleep could lead to compromised functioning and adverse developmental consequences. However, most of these problems could be managed effectively with empirically based interventions.