Sleep problems in young children, from bedtime resistance and frequent night waking to obstructive sleep apnea, are closely tied to the many facets of a child’s development. Yet pediatric sleep disturbances often persist beyond infancy, impacting school readiness, mood regulation and long‑term health. With the rapid rise of mobile apps, telehealth and online learning tools, digital health has become an increasingly relevant platform for supporting families navigating sleep challenges. important gap in the pediatric sleep literature by showing how digital tools can capture real‑world sleep behaviors at scale,” said Dr. Seixas. “From a public health standpoint, these technologies help us identify population‑level patterns earlier, especially in communities where sleep problems often go unrecognized. Clinically, they give providers objective, continuous data that can guide more personalized and timely interventions, ultimately improving outcomes for children who need support the most.” The digital tools evaluated included mobile apps, web‑based educational modules, telehealth programs, social media‑enhanced parent groups, wearable devices and data dashboards and robotic or kiosk‑based sleep‑education tools. Across all formats, parent engagement emerged as a consistent strength. Most interventions were designed to help parents implement behavioral strategies at home, rooted in cognitive‑behavioral therapy for insomnia or other evidence‑based approaches. Several studies also noted improvements in parental mental health, including reduced stress and enhanced sleep quality. One mobile app, Dr. Lullaby, significantly decreased the need for parents to remain in the room as children fell asleep. Digital sleep health tools are increasingly accessible, engaging and aligned with how families use technology every day. The review shows that when thoughtfully designed and grounded in behavioral science, these tools can meaningfully improve sleep for children and their parents. For clinicians, digital tools may serve as scalable extensions of care, providing education, tracking behaviors and reinforcing nightly routines. For researchers and developers, the next step is ensuring these tools reach the families who need them most, particularly in minoritized communities and low‑resource settings One study found that an online healthy‑lifestyle program for young children showed no sleep improvement until researchers added a closed Facebook group for parents, which enabled peer support and led to significant gains in child sleep duration.
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