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Thoughts and affect experienced by parents of preschool- and school-aged children during night-waking interactions

Graham J Reid1, Adam T Newton1, Katarina N A McKenzie1

  • 1Department of Psychology.

Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)
|January 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

A new questionnaire, the Parents' night-waking thoughts and affect questionnaire (PNTQ), effectively measures parents' thoughts and feelings during night wakings. This tool aids in understanding parental responses to children's sleep disturbances.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Sleep Science
  • Parenting Research

Background:

  • Understanding infant sleep has advanced through parent cognition measures.
  • A gap exists in comparable measures for parents of older children.
  • Parental thoughts and feelings during night wakings influence sleep strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and evaluate the Parents' night-waking thoughts and affect questionnaire (PNTQ).
  • To assess the psychometric properties of the PNTQ in parents of preschool and school-aged children.
  • To provide a tool for understanding parental cognitions related to night wakings.

Main Methods:

  • The PNTQ was administered to two community samples of parents (N=473).
  • Psychometric properties including internal consistency and test-retest reliability were evaluated.
  • Convergent validity was assessed by correlating PNTQ scores with measures of parenting stress, mental health, and night-waking behavior.

Main Results:

  • A four-factor structure of the PNTQ demonstrated adequate fit in both samples.
  • The PNTQ exhibited acceptable internal consistency (α=0.68–0.88) and test-retest reliability (r=0.46–0.80).
  • Good convergent validity was found, with correlations to parent-reported night-waking behavior.

Conclusions:

  • The PNTQ is a reliable and valid measure for assessing parental thoughts and affect during children's night wakings.
  • This questionnaire can enhance understanding of parental night-waking strategies and potential resistance to interventions.
  • The PNTQ offers a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians studying pediatric sleep and parenting.

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