Paternal cognitions and strategies related to sleep problems of toddlers: a qualitative study from the father’s point of view

ABSTRACT

Toddlers’ sleep difficulties have mainly been investigated from the mother’s point of view, despite the fact that paternal implication seems to influence young children’s sleep quality. This qualitative study aims to better understand how fathers experience toddlers’ sleep difficulties by examining their sleep-related cognitions and strategies used to solve their child’s sleep problems. Thirty-six French fathers of children aged between 9 months and 4 years old answered to a semi-directive interview. Thematic analysis revealed that cognitions seeking to understand the sleep difficulties were mainly related to immediate child-related factors such as physical discomfort or psychological need. A variety of strategies were reported: technical solutions were the most frequently represented, followed by limit-setting, physical comfort, and for some, a lack of strategy. Most fathers also expressed how the difficulties affected them. The results bring out clinical perspectives that can help promote fathers’ implication in the improvement of children’s sleep consolidation.

KEYWORDS:

• Toddlers
• sleep problems
• fathers
• cognitions
• strategies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Perrine Strugarek

Perrine Strugarek, graduated in Clinical psychology and Integrative psychopathology at the Institute of Psychology, University of Paris, France. She works as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in a Specialized Consultations Unit at Sainte-Anne University Hospital in Paris. She is also trained in interpersonal therapy with an attachment approach. Her research focuses on early parent–child interactions and on psychopathology related to attachment at all ages.

Jaqueline Wendland

Jaqueline Wendland, Full Professor of infant and perinatal clinical psychology and psychopathology at the Institute of Psychology, University of Paris, France. She works as a clinical psychologist and supervisor at the Vivaldi Parent-Infant Mental Health Unit at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital in Paris. She is head of a University Specialization Diploma called Psychology and Psychopathology of Parenthood, and is the editor-in-chief of the journal Périnatalité. Her research focuses mainly on the parenting process in its typical and atypical aspects, particularly in situations where the parent–child interactions are exposed to psychopathological, psychosocial and/or somatic risk factors.