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Daytime nap and nighttime breastfeeding are associated with toddlers' nighttime sleep

Machiko Nakagawa1,2,3, Hidenobu Ohta4,5,6, Rinshu Shimabukuro1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, St. Luke's International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan.

Scientific Reports
|February 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Shorter naps promote longer nighttime sleep in toddlers. However, nighttime breastfeeding is associated with reduced nighttime sleep duration in 1.5-year-olds.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Understanding factors influencing toddler sleep is crucial for development.
  • Sleep arrangements and daytime sleep patterns may impact nighttime sleep duration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between sleep arrangements and nighttime sleep duration in 1.5-year-old toddlers.
  • To identify specific sleep behaviors and arrangements associated with altered sleep patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Actigraphy was used to objectively record sleep and activity levels in 106 toddlers.
  • Parents completed sleep diaries and questionnaires detailing sleep arrangements over 7 days.

Main Results:

  • A significant negative correlation was found between nap duration and nighttime sleep duration.
  • Longer naps were associated with shorter nighttime sleep duration.
  • Nighttime breastfeeding, but not co-sleeping, predicted shorter nighttime sleep duration.

Conclusions:

  • Encouraging shorter naps may lead to longer nighttime sleep in toddlers.
  • Nighttime breastfeeding is a significant factor associated with reduced nighttime sleep duration in this age group.

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