[Sleep disorders in early childhood: developmental psychopathologic model and pilot study].

Sleep disorders are early childhood problems with a relatively high prevalence and persistence. An integrative concept is presented which conceptualizes sleep disorders as a result of early self-regulation problems in the infants and various but unsuccessful soothing strategies, parental depressive mood, loss of feelings of self-efficacy and control. Experiences in behavioral therapy underline the importance of parental cognitive processes in coping with night-waking. Data from a pilot-study are presented which included 20 infants (7-24 months). Questionnaires show that the infants are perceived as more difficult, their mothers feel more stressed and depressed, less in control of the problem than a control group. Night-waking has a strong emotional negative valence. Implications for counseling are discussed.