In the first years of life, not sleeping can be a very complicated, and even distressing part of life for a family. Sleeping and settling are learned skills for a baby, and they are skills that do not always come naturally. The disruption that sleep problems can create for a family can be significant.

Sleep problems are also very common in the years leading up to school. Between 30 and 40 per cent of children will experience sleep problems, including night waking and problems at bedtime (Waters, Suresh & Nixon, 2013).

An Australian study (Hiscock et al, 2014) looked at whether there was any difference in outcomes between families who received an infant sleep intervention, and families who did not. Parents in the intervention group received information about what constitutes typical infant sleep, crying and feeding; and advice on settling techniques and recognising tired signs.