Parental Involvement in Infant Sleep Routines Predicts Differential Sleep Patterns in Children With and Without Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

This study compared parents' retrospective reports of their involvement in infant settling strategies and their relation to current sleep patterns among children (N = 84, ages 7-11) with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and healthy controls. Parents of children with GAD were significantly more likely to report rocking their infants to sleep and putting infants down when they were already asleep than parents of healthy controls, even when accounting for infant health-related factors and parental anxiety. Greater involvement in infant sleep routines also predicted sleep patterns (measured via actigraphy) during childhood, though opposite relationships were observed in the two groups. Early involvement was related to poorer sleep in control children but better sleep for children with GAD even after controlling for current parenting practices. Findings suggest differential effects of early sleep-related parenting for children with and without later anxiety disorders with possible implications for early intervention.

Parental Cognitions About Sleep Problems in Infants: A Systematic Review

“…Cognitions pertaining to limit-setting may affect a variety of different sleep outcomes in infants, and have been linked to child sleep more often than other cognitions. This finding is in line with studies highlighting the importance of limit-setting practices and behaviors when trying to overcome sleep problems in children (7,34,36,37,41,42), suggesting that limit-setting cognitions and behaviors are closely interrelated in parents. This result further stresses the importance of altering limit-setting cognitions when dealing with child sleep problems.…”

“…Risk factors for sleep problems include child variables such as temperament (25) and genetic factors (26), parentcentered variables such as parental mental health (22,27) and psychological functioning (28), as well as marital stability (29,30), and parenting behaviors promoting the implementation/consolidation of stable bedtime routines (31)(32)(33) or parental involvement at nighttime (34) [see (35) for a recent overview]. Sadeh et al (36) reviewed that parental behaviors such as interactions at bedtime, soothing strategies and limit-setting strategies were linked directly to infant sleep variables.…”

“…Sadeh et al (36) reviewed that parental behaviors such as interactions at bedtime, soothing strategies and limit-setting strategies were linked directly to infant sleep variables. In fact, active parental involvement at nighttime and excessive comforting have consistently been linked to sleep onset difficulties and night awakening problems in infants and young children (7,34,(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). Soothing, holding or feeding until the child falls asleep, as well as parental presence at bedtime in general, may interfere with the child's development of self-soothing abilities and falling asleep independently.…”

Table_3.pdf

“…Risk factors for sleep problems include child variables such as temperament (25) and genetic factors (26), parentcentered variables such as parental mental health (22,27) and psychological functioning (28), as well as marital stability (29,30), and parenting behaviors promoting the implementation/consolidation of stable bedtime routines (31)(32)(33) or parental involvement at nighttime (34) [see (35) for a recent overview]. Sadeh et al (36) reviewed that parental behaviors such as interactions at bedtime, soothing strategies and limit-setting strategies were linked directly to infant sleep variables.…”

“…Sadeh et al (36) reviewed that parental behaviors such as interactions at bedtime, soothing strategies and limit-setting strategies were linked directly to infant sleep variables. In fact, active parental involvement at nighttime and excessive comforting have consistently been linked to sleep onset difficulties and night awakening problems in infants and young children (7,34,(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). Soothing, holding or feeding until the child falls asleep, as well as parental presence at bedtime in general, may interfere with the child's development of self-soothing abilities and falling asleep independently.…”