Chinese-American infant temperament and sleep duration: an ethnic comparison

Parents' responses to the Carey Infant Temperament Questionnaire and results of a standard interview regarding sleep duration were obtained for 23 Chinese-American and 60 non-Chinese infants. Chinese-American infants were rated as significantly more withdrawing, less adaptable, and more negative in mood than the other infants. Total sleep duration for the Chinese-American infants was 13.2 hours, compared to 14.2 hours for the other infants (p less than .05). Night sleep duration had a significant negative correlation with mood ratings in the Chinese-American babies. These findings suggest that there are ethnic differences in infant temperament and that the relationship between negative mood and brief sleep is present among different ethnic groups.