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A longitudinal study of the bi-directional relations between parental bedtime and nighttime involvement and infant

Ofek Matzliach1, Avel Horwitz1, Dar Ran-Peled1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

Sleep Medicine
|February 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Parental involvement in infant sleep routines, particularly at bedtime and during the night, is linked to poorer infant sleep quality. This study found limited evidence that infant sleep issues drive parental involvement.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Parenting Studies

Background:

  • Parental involvement is a key factor in infant sleep development.
  • Understanding the bidirectional relationship between parental actions and infant sleep is crucial for early childhood well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the prospective, bidirectional associations between parental involvement during bedtime/nighttime and infant sleep quality in the first year of life.
  • To investigate how parental actions influence infant sleep patterns and vice versa.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study with 207 families assessed at 4, 8, and 12 months.
  • Infant sleep measured via actigraphy, sleep diaries, and the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ).
  • Parental involvement recorded daily through sleep diaries.

Main Results:

  • Higher parental involvement at bedtime predicted more night wakings and increased wake after sleep onset (WASO) in infants.
  • Parental involvement at 4 months predicted increased night wakings from 4 to 8 months.
  • Infant sleep problems at 4 months predicted decreased parental bedtime involvement from 4 to 8 months.

Conclusions:

  • Increased parental involvement in settling infants to sleep is associated with poorer infant sleep quality.
  • The influence of infant sleep on parental involvement appears limited.
Abstract

Keywords:
ActigraphyBedtimeInfant sleepInvolvementLongitudinal studyParents

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