Variability of bedtime in infancy and its relationship to parent-reported and auto-videosomnography sleep metrics

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Maristella Lucchini1, Michal Kahn2, Monica Ordway3

  • 1Nanit Lab, New York, NY, United States.

Sleep Medicine
|May 3, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Consistent bedtimes are crucial for infant sleep. Greater bedtime variability in infants (4-24 months) is linked to shorter sleep duration and more bedtime difficulties, highlighting the need for routine.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Child Development
  • Behavioral Sleep Science

Background:

  • Consistent bedtimes are vital for pediatric sleep health.
  • The impact of bedtime variability on infant sleep outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between bedtime variability and various sleep outcomes in infants aged 4-24 months.
  • Investigate associations with sleep duration, nighttime awakenings, parental interventions, bedtime difficulties, and overall sleep quality.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized auto-videosomnography for objective infant sleep measurement over two weeks.
  • Collected parent-reported sleep habits via the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire - Revised.
  • Employed linear regression analyses to assess associations.

Main Results:

  • Increased bedtime variability significantly correlated with shorter total sleep time (objective and subjective measures).
  • Greater bedtime variability was associated with more parental interventions during the night.
  • Higher bedtime variability linked to increased bedtime difficulties, but not overall sleep quality or nighttime awakenings.

Conclusions:

  • Maintaining consistent bedtimes is essential for optimizing infant sleep duration and ease.
  • Bedtime consistency may positively influence broader infant developmental trajectories.
  • Findings emphasize the importance of routine in early childhood sleep health.

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