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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Sleep Med. 2013 Aug 27;14(10):995–1004. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2013.05.013

Table 1.

Behavioral parent training program session outline.

Sessions Topics addressed
A. Basic behavioral
principles
Introduce overall goals
Introduce concepts of antecedent, behavior, and consequence model
Introduce the concept of the functions of behavior
Introduce how to evaluate and monitor behavior
Review completion of sleep diary form
B. Addressing
prevention
techniques and
bedtime routines
Discuss preventive techniques
Discuss general sleep hygiene recommendations
Develop daily schedule and bedtime schedule and routine
Develop visual schedules
How to develop social stories when appropriate
C. Addressing
reinforcement and
extinction
procedures for
bedtime struggles,
night awakenings
and early morning
awakenings
Introduce concept of reinforcement and teach contingent implementation
of reinforcement
Introduce concept of extinction / planned ignoring
Introduce use of different extinction techniques to specifically address
sleep problems (bedtime struggles, night awakenings, early morning
awakenings).
Decide upon reinforcement and extinction, and scheduled awakening
procedures to implement as appropriate.
D. Addressing
delayed sleep onset
and sleep
association
procedures
Introduce the concept of stimulus control and its relationship to sleep
behaviors
Introduce faded bedtime routines and review bedtime routine
Introduce teaching new sleep associations
Develop specific procedures for teaching new sleep associations
E. Booster and
maintenance session
Revise and tweak procedures and techniques based on review of sleep
diary data and parent-report of progress
Discuss strategies for maintenance of behavior change
Generate ideas of what to do if changes do not or have not been
maintained
OPTIONAL
MATERIALS:
compliance training
Introduce parents to the concept of compliance
Generate a list of compliance commands
Generate a list of noncompliance commands
Go over the steps for teaching compliance
Identify correct and incorrect use of compliance training via video
Role-play correct use of compliance training
Go over how to use compliance training to teach a child to “stop.”
Problem-solve if things go wrong.
Design a compliance training plan for the home.
OPTIONAL
MATERIALS:
addressing nighttime
fears
Review why children may have fears around bedtime or nighttime
Review their child’s fears with parents
Discuss a plan for parents to reassure their child
Discuss a plan for the parents to teach their child “brave skills” and
other coping strategies
For children with severe and specific fears, teach parents how to
implement systematic exposure
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