Which sleep strategy is described by leaving the room as the child becomes drowsy and checking on the child at intervals?

Which sleep strategy is described by leaving the room as the child becomes drowsy and checking on the child at intervals?

• A. Leaving the room as the child becomes drowsy and checking on the child at intervals
• B. Taking away a favorite activity or video for each night the child fusses about the parent not being in the room
• C. Offering a reward for each night the child falls asleep without the parent in the room
• D. Putting the child to bed at the same time every night and ignoring all sleep interfering behaviors

Answer: (A)

This item tests a behavioral sleep-training approach that gradually reduces a parent's presence at bedtime while offering brief reassurance. The strategy of leaving the room as the child becomes drowsy and checking on the child at intervals is the fading (gradual withdrawal) technique. By staying with the child until they’re sleepy, then exiting and returning periodically, the child learns to fall asleep on their own with less dependence on the parent. Over time, the parent’s visits become less frequent and the child develops self-soothing skills. This fits better than punitive or reward-based methods, or routines that ignore sleep problems. The aim is to promote independent sleep by softening parental involvement at bedtime, not by punishment, external incentives, or ignoring sleep-interfering behaviors.

This item tests a behavioral sleep-training approach that gradually reduces a parent's presence at bedtime while offering brief reassurance. The strategy of leaving the room as the child becomes drowsy and checking on the child at intervals is the fading (gradual withdrawal) technique. By staying with the child until they’re sleepy, then exiting and returning periodically, the child learns to fall asleep on their own with less dependence on the parent. Over time, the parent’s visits become less frequent and the child develops self-soothing skills.

This fits better than punitive or reward-based methods, or routines that ignore sleep problems. The aim is to promote independent sleep by softening parental involvement at bedtime, not by punishment, external incentives, or ignoring sleep-interfering behaviors.