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Updated: Jun 7, 2026
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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Daytime sleep and parenting interactions in infants born preterm
A J Schwichtenberg1, Thomas F Anders, Melissa Vollbrecht
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA. ajschwichtenberg@ucdavis.edu
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|October 28, 2010
Summary
Infants born preterm who napped more had more positive maternal interactions. More naps in infants predicted better maternal interactions later, showing a bidirectional link between infant sleep and parenting.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Maternal-Child Interaction
Background:
- Nighttime parent-child interactions are known to influence nighttime sleep.
- Daytime sleep behaviors in infants are an understudied area.
- Transactional processes between sleep and parenting are crucial for development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the longitudinal associations between infant daytime sleep and maternal play interactions.
- To explore concurrent and time-lagged relationships in preterm infants.
- To understand the bidirectional influence of sleep and interaction.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 134 families with preterm infants.
- Data collected at NICU discharge and 4, 9, 24 months postterm.
- Methods included sleep logs, sociodemographic data, and video-taped play sessions.
Main Results:
- Infants with more naps had mothers with more positive/communicative interactions at 4, 9, and 24 months.
- More infant naps predicted more optimal maternal interactive behaviors later.
- Maternal negative affect predicted increased infant daytime sleep later.
Conclusions:
- Daytime sleep significantly influences daytime parent-child interactions.
- Supports a longitudinal, bidirectional relationship between infant sleep and maternal interactions.
- Highlights the importance of studying daytime naps in early childhood development.
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