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Night waking during infancy: role of parental presence at bedtime
R Adair1, H Bauchner, B Philipp
1Department of Pediatrics, Boston City Hospital, Boston University School of Medicine.
Insights
Parents present at infant bedtime increase night waking frequency. This study found infants whose parents stayed until they fell asleep woke more often during the night.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Sleep Medicine
- Child Development
Background:
- Night waking is a common issue in infants and young children.
- Understanding factors influencing infant sleep disturbances is crucial for parental well-being and child development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parental presence at infant bedtime sleep onset and the frequency of night waking.
- To determine if parental presence at sleep onset predicts increased night waking in infants.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 122 mothers and their 9-month-old infants.
- Data collected via questionnaires on infant sleep behavior, parental presence at bedtime, and demographic factors.
- Statistical analysis, including multivariate analysis, controlled for potential confounding variables.
Main Results:
- 33% of infants had a parent routinely present at bedtime sleep onset.
- Infants with parental presence at bedtime experienced significantly more night wakings (6.2 vs 3.1).
- Parental presence was independently associated with increased night waking, even after controlling for other factors.
Conclusions:
- Parental presence at infant bedtime sleep onset is linked to a higher frequency of night waking.
- Findings suggest a potential behavioral association that may inform strategies for managing infant sleep problems.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms behind this association and its clinical implications.
Abstract:
Night waking occurs commonly in infants and young children. The goal of this study is to determine whether parents who report being present when their infant falls asleep at bedtime are more likely to report increased frequency of night waking by the infant. Mothers were consecutively recruited when they brought their infants to the clinic for their 9-month well-child visit. A total of 122 mothers agreed to participate and completed a questionnaire consisting of closed-ended, forced choice questions about their infant's feeding and sleeping behavior, and demographic and psychosocial characteristics. For 33% of the mothers, a parent was routinely present when the infant went to sleep. The entire sample of infants averaged 4.1 night wakings during the week prior to questionnaire completion. Infants whose parents were present at bedtime were significantly more likely to wake at night than infants whose parents were not present (6.2 vs 3.1, P = .01). Frequent night waking (seven or more wakings in the prior week) occurred in 28% of the sample. More of the infants whose parents were present experienced frequent night waking compared with infants whose parents were not present (40% vs 22%, P less than .04). When potential confounding variables were controlled by multivariate analysis, parents being present when the child went to sleep was independently associated with night waking (P less than .03). The association of parental presence at bedtime and night waking has implications for preventing and managing disruptive night waking in infancy.