Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Attachment and infant night waking: a longitudinal study from birth through the first year of life

Roseriet Beijers1, Jarno Jansen, Marianne Riksen-Walraven

  • 1Department of Developmental Psychology, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. r.beijers@psych.ru.nl

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|July 12, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Infant night waking patterns in the first six months are linked to attachment security. Insecure-resistant infants woke more, while insecure-avoidant infants woke less, indicating early sleep behaviors reflect the developing attachment relationship.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Infant Sleep Research
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Night wakings are frequent in infancy, with limited empirical data on their connection to infant-caregiver attachment.
  • Previous research suggests a potential link between infant sleep disturbances and attachment security.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal relationship between infant night waking patterns and attachment security.
  • To examine how early night waking behaviors predict later attachment classifications (secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, disorganized).

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study involving 193 infants and their mothers.
  • Infant night wakings were recorded using daily sleep diaries for the first 6 months and again at 12 months.
  • Infant-mother attachment was assessed at 12 months using the Strange Situation procedure.

Main Results:

  • Infants with insecure-resistant attachment at 12 months showed significantly more night wakings during the first 6 months, controlling for covariates.
  • Distinct night waking patterns emerged across attachment classifications in the first 6 months.
  • Insecure-avoidant infants exhibited the lowest frequency of night wakings towards the end of the 6-month period.
  • No significant association was found between attachment status and night wakings at 12 months of age.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence linking infant attachment status at 12 months to night waking patterns observed in the first 6 months of life.
  • Early infant night waking behaviors appear to be reflective of the developing attachment relationship between infant and caregiver.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm06:07

Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm

Published on: May 15, 2019

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood08:20

Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood

Published on: October 2, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
Nightmares and Night Terrors01:18

Nightmares and Night Terrors

Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares often...
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...