Cook Georgia, Appleton Jane V, Wiggs Luci
Centre for Psychological Research, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
OxINMAHR, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford, Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
J Sleep Res. 2023 Apr;32(2):e13627. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13627. Epub 2022 May 13.
Certain parental cognitions about child sleep and bedtime behaviours used with their child have been linked to poorer child sleep. However, previous research has focused on mothers and explored only a limited range of sleep-related cognitions and practices. The present study investigated whether parental cognitions and sleep-related practices (both in connection with their own sleep and their child's sleep), alongside the bedtime behaviours used with their child were associated with and/or were predictive of their child's sleep. Mothers and fathers from 44 families (with a child aged 12-24 months) separately completed questionnaires reporting (i) their cognitions (about their own sleep and their child's sleep), (ii) sleep-related practices (used in connection with their own and their child's sleep) and (iii) bedtime behaviours used with their child. Child sleep was assessed through parental report and actigraphy. Both parents' cognitions about their own sleep predicted cognitions about their child's sleep. Mothers' own sleep-related practices predicted the types of practices they used with their child. Different patterns of maternal and paternal variables influenced parental perceptions of their child having a sleep problem. The present findings highlight the importance of including mothers and fathers in child sleep research. Parents' dysfunctional cognitions (their own sleep) and broader sleep-related practices (their own and child sleep) should be considered when exploring influences on child sleep. Results have possible implications for targets of interventions for child sleep problems and also potential implications for theoretical models of child sleep.
某些父母对孩子睡眠及与孩子一起采用的就寝行为的认知，已被证明与孩子较差的睡眠状况有关。然而，以往的研究主要聚焦于母亲，且仅探讨了有限范围的与睡眠相关的认知和做法。本研究调查了父母的认知以及与睡眠相关的做法（包括与他们自己的睡眠和孩子的睡眠相关的），连同他们与孩子一起采用的就寝行为，是否与孩子的睡眠有关联和/或可预测孩子的睡眠。来自44个家庭（孩子年龄在12至24个月之间）的母亲和父亲分别完成了问卷调查，报告（i）他们的认知（关于他们自己的睡眠和孩子的睡眠），（ii）与睡眠相关的做法（用于他们自己和孩子的睡眠），以及（iii）与孩子一起采用的就寝行为。通过父母报告和活动记录仪对孩子的睡眠进行评估。父母双方对自己睡眠的认知都能预测他们对孩子睡眠的认知。母亲自己与睡眠相关的做法能预测她们与孩子一起采用的做法类型。母亲和父亲的不同变量模式影响了父母对孩子存在睡眠问题的认知。本研究结果凸显了在儿童睡眠研究中纳入母亲和父亲的重要性。在探究对孩子睡眠的影响时，应考虑父母功能失调的认知（他们自己的睡眠）以及更广泛的与睡眠相关的做法（他们自己和孩子的睡眠）。研究结果对儿童睡眠问题干预的目标可能具有启示意义，对儿童睡眠的理论模型也可能具有潜在启示意义。
