Maternal emotional availability at bedtime predicts infant sleep quality.

Abstract

In the present study, linkages were examined between parental behaviors (maternal practices) at bedtime, emotional availability of mothering at bedtime, and infant sleep quality in a cross-sectional sample of families with infants between 1 and 24 months of age. Observations of maternal behaviors and maternal emotional availability were conducted independently by 2 sets of trained observers who were blind to data being coded by the other. With infant age statistically controlled, specific maternal behaviors at bedtime were unrelated to infant sleep disruptions at bedtime and during the night. By contrast, emotional availability of mothering at bedtime was significantly and inversely related to infant sleep disruption, and, although these links were stronger for younger infants, they were significant for older infants as well. Maternal emotional availability was also inversely linked with mothers' ratings of whether their infants had sleep difficulties. These findings demonstrate that parents' emotional availability at bedtimes may be as important, if not more important, than bedtime practices in predicting infant sleep quality. Results support the theoretical premise that parents' emotional availability to children in sleep contexts promotes feelings of safety and security and, as a result, better-regulated child sleep.

Infant Safe Sleep Interventions, 1990–2015: A Review

“…Additional methods for assessment, such as in-home visits and unobtrusive observation of the infant sleep environment have been suggested [21]. Some researchers have also utilized video-recordings throughout the night in the home to document infant sleep practices [46][47][48][49][50][51]. In addition, for most of the studies, the data collection tool was newly created for the purposes of that study.…”

Development of comorbid crying, sleeping, feeding problems across infancy: Neurodevelopmental vulnerability and parenting

“…Surprisingly few longitudinal studies examined the relationship between sensitive parenting referring to mothers' ability to respond appropriately to infant cues [11] and infant regulatory problems. Some that focussed on single regulatory problems such as sleeping or crying showed one-directional associations between maternal sensitivity and child regulatory problems [12], others noted a bi-directional relationship between these variables [13], and still others revealed no significant link [14,15]. Thus, the verdict is still out whether lower maternal sensitivity increases regulatory problems or vice versa or whether parenting has little influence on the development of regulatory problems.…”

Relationships between diurnal adrenocortical activity, children’s attachment security and mothers’ attachment representations

“…The relationship between children's attachment quality and cortisol levels in the evening, may not only benefit the dyad's sleep quality but also increase the mothers' emotional availability during this important period, by reducing their levels of stress. This is particularly important, given that maternal emotional availability at bedtime predicts infant sleep quality (Teti, Kim, Mayer, & Countermine, 2010).…”