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    Scheduled Awakenings

    No cryingSeveral weeksSome scientific support

    The parent wakes the child just before their typical spontaneous waking time, to gradually reduce the wakings. The method was described early in research by Rickert and Johnson (1988)¹ and is included in modern handbooks on paediatric sleep,² but has been studied in relatively few controlled studies. The method specifically targets night wakings rather than falling asleep.

    How the method works

    The parent keeps a sleep diary for a few nights to identify when the child typically wakes. Then the parent wakes the child 15 to 30 minutes before the expected waking and helps the child fall back asleep. Over time the planned awakenings are spaced out and the parent wakes the child less often, until the child sleeps through the night. The method works by disrupting the learned waking cycle.

    What the research says

    Scheduled awakenings have support in research, including Rickert & Johnson (1988)¹ who showed the method was effective in reducing night wakings. The method has the advantage of not involving crying, but has been studied in fewer studies compared with extinction methods.³ It is sometimes recommended as an alternative for parents who want to avoid cry-based methods.

    Potential benefits

    • Involves no crying – the child is woken gently
    • Specifically targets night wakings
    • Can be perceived as a controlled and predictable method
    • Has some research support

    Challenges

    • –Requires the parent to wake and act during the night
    • –Can be difficult to identify the right times
    • –Risk of the child becoming fully awake when woken
    • –Can be demanding for already sleep-deprived parents

    Sources

    1. Rickert, V. I., & Johnson, C. M. (1988). Reducing nocturnal awakening and crying episodes in infants and young children: A comparison between scheduled awakenings and systematic ignoring. Pediatrics, 81(2), 203–212.
    2. Mindell, J. A., & Owens, J. A. (2015). A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems (3rd ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
    3. Mindell, J. A., et al. (2006). Behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. Sleep, 29(10), 1263–1276.