Breastfeeding, maternal depressive mood and room sharing as predictors of sleep fragmentation in 12-week-old infants: a longitudinal study

Abstract

Sleep fragmentation in infancy can burden a family by disrupting the sleep of all its members. However, there has been no longitudinal prospective investigation of the determinants of infant sleep fragmentation. We undertook such an investigation. New mothers (N = 106) completed questionnaires and were administered structured telephone interviews at three, six and 12 weeks postpartum. Pre- and postnatal maternal adjustment and sleep-related parental practices were evaluated as potential predictors of infants’ sleep fragmentation. Risk factors for infants sleeping less than six consecutive hours per night at 12 weeks were found to be mother’s depressed mood (OR = 1.55, p < .01), breastfeeding (OR = 6.40, p < .01) and room sharing (OR = 2.91, p < .05). The mother’s depressed mood and breastfeeding were also related to poor sleep consolidation when the latter was assessed as a continuous outcome (p < .01). This study identifies factors to target in sleep-focused interventions in families where the child’s sleep has become a problem.

Keywords:

• sleep consolidation
• infancy
• postpartum depression
• breastfeeding
• cosleeping
• room sharing

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).