This study aimed to understand how different mother-infant sleeping arrangements impact infants’ self-regulation, particularly their calming response. Thus this study investigated the effect of three prevalent mother-infant sleeping arrangements, co-sleeping (CS), sleeping beyond arm’s length from their mother (BAL), and solitary sleeping (SS), on infants’ physiological calming through self-regulation during a nap session in 24 infants (50% female, M = 1.85 months SD = 0.93 months), who were identified as either regular co-sleepers with their mothers, infants who slept in the BAL sleeping arrangement from their mother, and infants who are solitary sleepers (SS). The effect of all three sleeping conditions amongst all the three types of infants with different habitual sleeping arrangements was assessed. All infants spent 10 min (2 × 5 min sessions) in each sleeping condition (CS, BAL, SS) during which electrocardiographic recordings were collected to obtain interbeat intervals (IBI) and rMSSD, a measure of heart rate variability (HRV) an index of physiological calming, maintained by the parasympathetic pathway involved in self-regulation. Infants who regularly co-slept with their mothers had the highest IBI, indicating greater physiological calming and self-regulation across all sleeping arrangement conditions (CS, BAL, SS), followed by infants who regularly slept in the BAL sleeping arrangement from their mothers. IBI was lowest amongst regular solitary sleepers, potentially indicating physiological stress due to mother-infant separation. However, HRV indices during the sleeping arrangements (especially across regular solitary sleepers) were inconclusive as to whether the lack of change in HRV across all sleeping conditions was due to physiological stress responses or greater physiological regulation. This study is the first to investigate the effect of manipulated and habitual mother-infant sleeping arrangements on infant physiological calming.

这项研究旨在了解不同的母婴睡眠安排如何影响婴儿的自我调节，特别是他们的镇静反应。因此，本研究调查了三种普遍的母婴睡眠安排：共同睡眠（CS），离母亲一段距离的睡眠（BAL）和单人睡眠（SS）对婴儿在生理过程中自我调节的生理平静的影响24例婴儿午睡（50％女，M  = 1.85个月SD = 0.93个月），被确定为与母亲经常同睡，以母亲的BAL睡眠方式睡过的婴儿，以及单人睡眠（SS）的婴儿。评估了三种睡眠条件对习惯性睡眠安排不同的三种类型婴儿的影响。所有婴儿在每种睡眠状态（CS，BAL，SS）中都花费10分钟（2×5分钟），在此期间收集心电图记录以获得心跳间隔（IBI）和rMSSD，这是心率变异性（HRV）的指标由参与自我调节的副交感神经通路维持的生理平静。经常与母亲同睡的婴儿的IBI最高，表示在所有睡眠安排条件下（CS，BAL，SS），生理上的平静和自我调节能力增强，其次是婴儿，其母亲定期以BAL睡眠安排睡觉。IBI在常规的单独睡眠者中最低，这可能表明由于母婴分离而产生的生理压力。然而，在睡眠安排期间（特别是在常规的单独睡眠者中）HRV指标对于在所有睡眠条件下HRV缺乏变化是否是由于生理应激反应或更大的生理调节所致尚无定论。这项研究是第一个研究操纵和习惯性母婴睡眠安排对婴儿生理镇静作用的影响。IBI在常规的单独睡眠者中最低，这可能表明由于母婴分离而产生的生理压力。然而，在睡眠安排期间（特别是在常规的单独睡眠者中）HRV指标对于在所有睡眠条件下HRV缺乏变化是否是由于生理应激反应或更大的生理调节所致尚无定论。这项研究是第一个研究操纵和习惯性母婴睡眠安排对婴儿生理镇静作用的影响。IBI在常规的单独睡眠者中最低，这可能表明由于母婴分离而产生的生理压力。然而，在睡眠安排期间（特别是在常规的单独睡眠者中）HRV指标对于在所有睡眠条件下HRV缺乏变化是否是由于生理应激反应或更大的生理调节所致尚无定论。这项研究是第一个研究操纵和习惯性母婴睡眠安排对婴儿生理镇静作用的影响。在睡眠安排期间（特别是在常规的单独睡眠者中）HRV指标对于在所有睡眠条件下HRV缺乏变化是否归因于生理应激反应或更大的生理调节尚无定论。这项研究是第一个研究操纵和习惯性母婴睡眠安排对婴儿生理镇静作用的影响。在睡眠安排期间（特别是在常规的单独睡眠者中）HRV指标对于在所有睡眠条件下HRV缺乏变化是否归因于生理应激反应或更大的生理调节尚无定论。这项研究是第一个研究操纵和习惯性母婴睡眠安排对婴儿生理镇静作用的影响。