Background: Sleep problems among preschoolers are highly prevalent. Given the impact of poor sleep quality on development, this relationship is particularly relevant in vulnerable populations but is less documented. This study aims to document parental perception of sleep problems in preschoolers assessed in a psychiatric clinic, as a function of diagnosis type. Methods: Children (14–71 months, n = 228) were evaluated by a psychiatrist, and diagnoses were pooled into four categories: behavioral disorders, relational disorders/psychosocial problems, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and communication disorders. Sleep problems were measured using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results: In this clinical sample of preschoolers, 21.6% of children were identified as having a sleep problem by their parents. Behavioral disorders and communication disorders were associated with increased parental report of sleep problems (respectively, trouble falling asleep and nighttime awakenings), while DCD was associated with lower parental report of sleep problems (fewer nighttime awakenings and less difficulty falling asleep) (p < 0.05). Relational disorders were not associated with parental reports of sleep difficulties (p > 0.05). Moreover, some psychiatric categories were associated with specific sleep symptoms (such as difficulty falling asleep and night awakenings). Conclusion: Parents of preschoolers with behavioral disorders and communication disorders are more likely to report sleep problems in their children than parents of preschoolers with DCD and relational disorders. Since different categories of psychiatric disorders are associated with specific types of sleep complaints, screening, and treatment should be adapted accordingly.

Studies describing the link between infant sleeping arrangements and postpartum maternal depressive symptoms have led to inconsistent findings. However, expectations regarding these sleeping arrangements were rarely taken into consideration. Furthermore, very few studies on pediatric sleep have included fathers. Therefore, the aims of this study were (1) to compare maternal and paternal attitudes regarding co-sleeping arrangements and (2) to explore the associations among sleeping arrangements, the discrepancy between expected and actual sleeping arrangements, and depressive symptoms, in mothers and fathers. General attitudes about co-sleeping, sleeping arrangements and the discrepancy between expected and actual sleeping arrangements were assessed using the Sleep Practices Questionnaire (SPQ) in 92 parents (41 couples and 10 parents who participated alone in the study) of 6-month-old infants. Parental depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Within the same couple, mothers were generally more supportive than fathers of a co-sleeping arrangement (p < 0.01). Multivariate linear mixed model analyses showed that both mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a greater discrepancy between the expected and actual sleeping arrangement (small to moderate effect size) (p < 0.05) regardless of the actual sleeping arrangement. These findings shed new light on the conflicting results concerning the link between co-sleeping and parental depressive symptoms reported in the literature. Researchers and clinicians should consider not only actual sleeping arrangements, but also parents’ expectations.