Clinical Research Directory

Parent-Related Factors Associated With Sleep in Young Children

Sleep plays a crucial role in supporting a child's healthy development, growth, and overall well-being. While many children develop healthy sleep patterns, 20-30% of infants experience sleep problems. Beyond biological processes, sleep is influenced by environmental, psychosocial, and cultural factors. Understanding the relationship between parental factors and child sleep-wake patterns, alongside identifying potential developmental shifts during this period, is essential. However, existing research, often limited to cross-sectional or short-term longitudinal studies, has mostly focused on mothers, with few studies considering the transactional nature between infants' sleep patterns and the bidirectional influences exerted by other important parental factors. This longitudinal study aims to understand how parent-infant interactions influence infant sleep patterns across the first three years of life for both mothers and fathers. The study will further examine the effects of parental factors, including (1) the co-parenting relationship, (2) maternal self-efficacy, (3) maternal/paternal depression, (4) maternal/paternal anxiety, (5) paternal involvement, (6) maternal/paternal sleep, and (7) parental stress, along with child factors such as temperament and socio-emotional development, on infants' sleep-wake patterns. Additionally, this study will investigate the dynamic, bidirectional relationships between these factors, providing valuable insights into infant and family well-being.