February 26, 2018
Purdue prof provides tips for Baby Sleep Day on Thursday (March 1)
Parents and caregivers have the chance to ask a team of international sleep experts, including Purdue’s A.J. Schwichtenberg, about their infant’s sleep on Thursday (March 1) as part of the second annual Baby Sleep Day.
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Night wakings, sleep training, naps and bedtime issues are just some of the areas parents often question when it comes to their child’s sleep, says a Purdue University childhood development expert.
Parents and caregivers have the chance to ask a team of international sleep experts, including Purdue’s A.J. Schwichtenberg, about their infant’s sleep on Thursday (March 1) as part of the second annual Baby Sleep Day. Schwichtenberg, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and a developmental sleep researcher, will answer questions from 10-10:30 a.m. EST at facebook.com/pedsleep. Her areas of expertise include issues related to infant sleep, naps and sleep in autism spectrum disorder.
“Sleep is one of the first things infants must master with their family. All infants sleep – but where, when and for how long is often a function of family choices. For this reason, families often have questions and work hard to provide the optimal sleep context for their infants and young children,” says Schwichtenberg, a member of the Pediatric Sleep Council. “We answered more than 300 questions during last year’s event and reached thousands of families. We are seeing even more interest for this year’s event. Struggling with a lack of sleep may seem like a rite of passage when caring for a baby, but sleep is a critical component of neurological and physical development, so we want families to know they have resources to help.”
Other members of the Pediatric Sleep Council will answer sleep questions for families around the globe in real time on the Pediatric Sleep Council’s Facebook page.
Schwichtenberg also is a developmental sleep expert featured in the Pediatric Sleep Council’s BabySleep.com website, where parents can find resources year-round.
In addition to sleep advice for children with autism, she is featured discussing the following:
* Children who wake up from naps upset.
* Sudden night wakings.
* Healthy sleep habits for babies.
* Jet lag and babies.
* Safe bedding for babies.
Schwichtenberg also is leading an autism spectrum disorder Infant Sibling Study. This study is part of the Autism Speaks: Baby Sibling Research Consortium, which is one of more than two-dozen sites in the nation that collects data on 4,000 families for a variety of studies of autism. Schwichtenberg’s study focuses on the roles of sleep in early autism development.
Schwichtenberg also has courtesy appointments in the departments of Psychological Sciences and Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. She also is co-director for the Purdue Autism Cluster.
The Pediatric Sleep Council is an independent non-profit group of experts that provides up-to-date information to parents and caregivers about pediatric sleep.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Source: A.J. Schwichtenberg, ajschwichtenberg@purdue.edu
