Approximately 47% to 67% of parents seek help for sleep concerns in children aged zero to five years, with behaviors shaped by access, perceived reliability of support, and parental knowledge, according to a systematic review by Abigail J. Ford, of CQUniversity Australia, and colleagues.

The review synthesized evidence from 17 studies identified through searches of CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, and PsycINFO through April 2024. Included studies examined caregivers of children aged zero to five years using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods designs. The studies spanned 1991 to 2023, included populations from nine countries, and ranged from 12 to more than 39,000 participants, with mothers comprising the majority of respondents.

Across the four studies reporting prevalence, 67% of parents in a UK sample, 64% and 66% in Australian samples, and 47% in a New Zealand study reported seeking advice, information, or support for their child’s sleep. Parents used both informal and formal sources of support. Informal sources included internet searches, books, social media, and peer networks, with 47% of parents in one study reporting internet use and 88% reporting use of written or online materials. Formal sources included physicians, nurses, and child health services, with 79% of parents in one study consulting child health nurses and 60% consulting maternal and child health nurses.

Help-seeking was often multimodal, with parents combining professional care and informal support. Limited availability of appointments, cost, and time constraints reduced use of formal health care services, while the immediate accessibility of online and peer-based resources facilitated informal help-seeking. Concerns about inconsistent or outdated information from health care professionals, along with variable reliability of online content, affected trust. Parents also reported that professional advice was often not tailored to their child or parenting approach.

Fear of judgment from both health care professionals and peers deterred some parents from seeking help or disclosing concerns. Delays in seeking professional care ranged from one week to several months, with many parents first relying on informal sources. Parental characteristics also influenced help-seeking; younger mothers and those with lower socioeconomic status were less likely to seek help, while prior parenting experience increased confidence in managing sleep concerns independently.

Parental knowledge of sleep also influenced behavior. Some parents were uncertain about what constituted problematic sleep and normalized sleep disturbances as developmental, which reduced the likelihood of seeking help.

Limitations included heterogeneity in study design and populations, reliance on self-reported data, and overrepresentation of well-educated mothers, which may limit generalizability. Only four studies reported prevalence, limiting conclusions about overall help-seeking rates.

The review concluded that parental help-seeking is shaped by multiple interacting factors, and that parents rely on both formal health care services and informal sources such as family, peers, and online communities.

Disclosures: The authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Source: Sleep Medicine Reviews