Overview

The APS hosts this on-demand activity with the APS College of Clinical Psychologists.

40% of families have children who do not sleep well. Poor sleeps impacts the entire family not just the child, and can have significant negative effects on the mental health of the child and family.

In order to implement strategies that are based on psychological theory but adapted to sleep, psychologists must be well-versed in sleep and its impacts on mental health. 

This activity introduces psychologists to the theoretical concepts which are at play in children’s sleep and bedtime behaviours. It will cover:

• best-practice parenting styles such as 'authoritative parenting' as opposed to 'permissive or authoritarian parenting',

• parenting styles,

• the current models which present parental cognitions and beliefs as they contribute to sleep and general behaviour,

• implementing parenting strategies to enable effective behaviour management which adhere to authoritative parenting for behaviour management in general, but sleep behaviour specifically, and

• expansion of psychologists current knowledge and training in behaviour, learning and attachment theories to deal with the common problem of sleep problems in children.

Level of Learning

Foundational. This activity is targeted to those new to the topic.

Duration of access

Access to the recording and presenter slides is for 12 months from the date of confirmed registration.

APS CPD-Approved

This activity has been assessed against the APS Standards for CPD activities and approved for its education quality. Learn more about the APS CPD Approval process

CPD Frequently Asked Questions

Refer to the APS CPD Frequently Asked Questions for general and technical information when undertaking APS Professional development activities.

Activity details 

• On-demand webinar recording 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this on-demand activity, participants should be able to:

•  understand good sleep across childhood and identify poor sleep,

• describe cognitive and behavioural models that predict and contribute to poor sleep in children

• understand how paediatric sleep problems are currently addressed from a behavioural and psychological perspective and what is best practice

Presenter(s)

Dr Sarah Blunden MAPS

About the presenter(s)

Dr. Sarah Blunden (MAPS, BAPsych Hons, MSocSc, PhD) is a clinical psychologist specialising in the treatment of children’s sleep problems. She is Head of Paediatric Sleep Research at the Adelaide campus of Central Queensland University, The Appleton Institute, Director of the Paediatric Sleep and Psychology Clinic, founding Director of the Australian Centre for Education in Sleep and chair of the Indigenous Sleep Working Party of the Australasian Sleep Association. She has authored over 100 academic papers and books including The Sensible Sleep Solution for infants and the Boss of My sleep Book for Toddlers. Her sleep responsive sleep therapies are published and utilised worldwide, and she has developed a Practice Certificate in this method (https://sensiblesleep.com/course/blunden-responsive-gemss-method/ ). She has recorded and delivered podcasts and videos on sleep in ASD. Her research interests include sleep education, indigenous sleep and health, and the impact and treatment of poor sleep in young people