Should we wait until the sleep problem goes away as the baby grows up?

Most children gradually grow out of sleep problems. However, a number of studies show that this is not always the case, and sometimes, unresolved infant sleep problems can last until preschool or school age. Sleep is one of our basic physiological needs (in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it is next to food, water and oxygen), therefore, a one-night or – more importantly – chronic sleep loss has its specific, scientifically-proven consequences for both physical and mental health. So first of all, it is the parents that should ask themselves if, and how long, they can wait and if their child will actually grow out of these sleep problems. Sleep deprivation often has tremendous and nearly unbearable effects in the long run (over the course of several months or years).