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Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
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Sleep and attachment in early childhood: a series of meta-analyses

Valérie Simard1,2, Valérie Chevalier1, Marie-Michèle Bédard1

  • 1a Department of Psychology , Université de Sherbrooke , Longueuil , Canada.

Attachment & Human Development
|March 10, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Child attachment security is linked to better sleep efficiency, while insecure attachment correlates with more sleep problems. This association strengthens with a child's age, suggesting developmental influences.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Sleep Science
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Empirical research on the connection between child attachment and sleep quality has yielded conflicting results.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for identifying potential interventions for sleep disturbances in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively assess the association between child sleep and attachment security using meta-analysis.
  • To investigate the moderating roles of study methodology (attachment and sleep measures) and child age on this association.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analysis was conducted on 16 studies, encompassing data from 2783 children aged 6 to 38 months.
  • Studies were analyzed based on the attachment measures used and the sleep assessment methods employed.
  • Statistical moderator analyses were performed to examine the influence of age and methodology.

Main Results:

  • A significant positive association was found between attachment security and sleep efficiency (r = .18).
  • A significant positive association was observed between attachment resistance and sleep problems (r = .18).
  • The strength of the association between sleep and attachment security increased with child age (R² analog = .67), indicating a developmental effect.

Conclusions:

  • Inconsistent findings in previous research may be attributed to variations in study methodologies and measurement tools.
  • The relationship between child attachment and sleep is influenced by the child's developmental stage.
  • Attachment security appears to play a role in promoting better sleep efficiency, while insecure attachment may contribute to sleep difficulties.

Keywords:
Sleepattachmentchildinfantmeta-analysis

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