#39 in popularitySince 1988Pre-emptive waking and consoling
Scheduled Awakenings
Vaughn I. Rickert & C. Merle Johnson (1988, Pediatrics)
Wake and soothe baby just before their usual waking times, then fade the wake-ups out.
- Starts
- 6 mo
- Results in
- 8 weeks
- Crying
- Gentle, low-cry
- Evidence
- Moderate
Overview
Researchers Vaughn Rickert and C. Merle Johnson described scheduled awakenings in Pediatrics in 1988. Parents first log when their child usually wakes at night. They then wake and console the child 15 to 30 minutes before each typical waking, and gradually lengthen the time between scheduled wakings until they're no longer needed.
It involves little crying and is supported by trial evidence, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2006 review. It works best for children who wake at predictable times, takes several weeks, and requires parents to set alarms at night.
How it works
- Log a baseline of when spontaneous wakings occur.
- Wake and console the child 15–30 minutes before each typical waking.
- Gradually lengthen the time between scheduled wakings until they're faded out.
Pros
- Little crying
- RCT-supported
- Works for predictable night wakers
Cons
- Takes several weeks
- Requires parents to wake at night on schedule
- Not for bedtime struggles
Evidence
Moderate. RCT evidence; recognized in the AASM 2006 review.
Details
- Popularity
- #39 of 39 · Niche (estimated)
- Since
- 1988 (38 years) · Published in Pediatrics, 1988
- When to start
- Studied in children 6–54 months
- Day structure
- Sleep-timing biology
- Format
- Research protocol
- Good fit for
- Parents of babies who wake at the same times each night and who want to avoid crying.