MOTHERS’ histories of sleeping problems and the methods they use to settle their babies may affect how well infants sleep, a study of first-time mothers in Wyndham has found.
Werribee psychologist Jenny Sheehan surveyed 95 mothers with babies aged six to nine months for a Victoria University thesis.
The study found that the mother’s experience of how she was parented could also influence the way she reacted to her child’s unsettled sleep.
High levels of anxiety were found to affect a mother’s perceptions of her baby’s sleep patterns.
Participants completed self-reporting questionnaires to measure levels of depression, anxiety, maternal sleep history, perception of past parenting, maternal cognitions about infant sleep, and settling strategies.
“Sleep concerns are one of the most frequent problems that parents discuss with paediatricians and other allied health professionals,” said Dr Sheehan, who is also the manager of the non-profit Corazon Centre.
“Struggles at bedtime and night awakening pose serious problems for families and may impact negatively on the mother and her relationship with her infant,” she said.
Dr Sheehan said the findings of her four-year study would add to the body of knowledge about maternal factors affecting infant sleep.
“This is an important and somewhat under-investigated area of inquiry in women’s mental health.
“It is hoped that the findings from this study may contribute to the development of appropriate assessment tools and intervention programs aimed at assisting parents to manage their infant’s sleep.’’
Dr Sheehan said interventions, such as controlled crying programs, were typically aimed at reducing parental involvement at bedtime but paid less attention to the underlying mental factors that contributed to the causes of infant sleep problems.
She said recognition of issues related to sleep patterns would add an extra dimension to these programs.
