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Longitudinal changes in term and preterm infant night wakings: The role of caregiver anxious-depression

Michelle Lobermeier1, Amanda Hicks1, Angela D Staples1

  • 1Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA.

Infant Mental Health Journal
|December 14, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Caregiver anxious-depressive symptoms are linked to infant night waking. Addressing caregiver mental health may help reduce infant sleep disturbances.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Perinatal Mental Health
  • Infant Sleep

Background:

  • Infant night waking is influenced by individual and family factors, including caregiver mental health.
  • Understanding the interplay between caregiver psychological state and infant sleep is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between infant night waking and caregiver anxious-depressive symptoms in the first year of life.
  • To examine both between-person and within-person effects of caregiver symptoms on infant sleep patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 445 diverse caregivers and their preterm/term infants from 2 to 9 months.
  • Data collected via caregiver-reported measures of anxious-depression and infant night waking at four time points.
  • Analysis considered between-person differences and within-person changes in symptoms and sleep.

Main Results:

  • Infant night wakings naturally decreased from 2 to 9 months.
  • Higher average caregiver anxious-depressive symptoms were associated with more infant night wakings.
  • No significant within-person effect of fluctuating caregiver symptoms on infant waking was found.

Conclusions:

  • Caregiver anxious-depression is significantly associated with infant night waking, particularly when considering average symptom severity.
  • Healthcare providers can use caregiver mental health status to tailor infant sleep interventions.
  • Improving caregiver mental well-being may lead to a reduction in infant night waking.

Keywords:
Aidant Anxieux-DépressionConception longitudinaleLängsschnittdesignRéveils nocturnesSommeil du nourrissonSäuglingsschlafcaregiver anxious-depressiondepresión por ansiedad del cuidadordespertar nocturnodiseño longitudinainfant sleeplongitudinal designnight wakingsnächtliches Aufwachensueño del infanteängstlich-depressive Bezugspersonenالكلمات المفتاحية: نوم الرضع ، الاستيقاظ ليلا ، القلق والاكتئاب عند مقدم الرعاية ، التصميم الطولي乳幼児の睡眠、夜間覚醒、養育者の不安抑うつ、縦断的デザイン关键词:婴儿睡眠夜醒看护者焦虑抑郁纵向设计

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