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Parental Discontent with Infant Sleep During the First Two Years of Life

Margreet W Harskamp-van Ginkel1, Nicola L E Imkamp1, Lieke van Houtum2

  • 1Amsterdam UMC, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Behavioral Sleep Medicine
|January 10, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Parental discontent with infant sleep in the first six months predicts sleep problems in toddlerhood. Early identification and support for infant sleep issues are recommended for families.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Problematic infant sleep significantly impacts families.
  • Parental discontent with sleep is common in the first six months of life.
  • Understanding predictors of sleep problems in early childhood is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between parental discontent with infant sleep in the first six months and parent-perceived problematic sleep in the second year of life.
  • To investigate the link between early parental sleep discontent and objectively defined sleep problems up to age two.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 1471 children in the Sarphati Cohort.
  • Registered parental discontent with infant sleep during routine healthcare visits in the first six months.
  • Assessed problematic sleep using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) in the second year of life.
  • Employed multivariable logistic regression to analyze associations.

Main Results:

  • 26% of parents reported sleep discontent in the first six months.
  • 27% of parents perceived their child's sleep as problematic in the second year.
  • Early parental discontent was associated with parent-perceived problematic sleep (aOR 2.50) and BISQ-defined problematic sleep (aOR 1.88).

Conclusions:

  • Early parental discontent with infant sleep predicts parent-perceived sleep problems in toddlerhood.
  • Identifying parental discontent early can help flag infants at risk for later sleep difficulties.
  • Screening for and supporting infant sleep issues early is recommended.
Abstract

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