Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Interrelationship between sleep quality of 1-month old infants and their mothers’ corresponding activities

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sleep and Biological Rhythms Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim was to examine the interrelationship between sleep quality of 1-month infants and mothers, mothers’ corresponding activities to infant’s night sleep, and mother’s mental health. A cross-sectional survey with self-reported questionnaire was conducted among 437 healthy mother–infant pairs at 1-month postpartum delivered at a maternal hospital in Tokyo. The main measurements were the presence of mother’s sleep problem, the presence of infant’s unstable sleep quality (hereinafter, unstable sleep), mother’s stimulating activities, such as responding to active sleep immediately, and four indices of mothers’ mental health. After comparing statistically, the basic characteristics and above main measurements with and without infant unstable sleep, a covariance structure analysis was conducted to investigate the association among four main measurements according to the hypotheses made based on previous studies. The infants’ unstable sleep affected the mothers’ sleep problem (β = 0.12), the mothers’ sleep problem affected the stimulating activities (β = 0.11) and the stimulating activities affected the infants’ unstable sleep (β = 0.11). The infants’ unstable sleep and mothers’ sleep problem affected the mothers’ mental health directly (β = 0.20, β = 0.15). The values of GFI (0.993, AGFI (0) and RMSEA (0.032) showed a high fitness of the model. The inter-relationships between the infants’ unstable sleep, mothers’ sleep problem, mothers' stimulating activities, and mothers’ mental health were verified in just 1 month post birth. It is significant that those relationships were obtained in the neonatal periods. The result that mothers’ stimulating activities affect infants’ unstable sleep is important with implications on sleep health education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Stremler R, Sharky KM, Wolfson AR. Postpartum period and early motherhood. In: Kryger M, Roth T, Dement WC, editors. Principles and practice of sleep medicine. 6thth ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2017. p. 1547–1552.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  2. Goyal D, Gay C, Lee K. Fragmental maternal sleep is more strongly correlated with depressive symptoms than infant’s temperament at three months postpartum. Arch Women’s Ment Health. 2009;12:229–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Dørheim SK, Bondevik GT, Eberhard-Gran M, Bjorvatn B. Sleep and depression in postpartum women; a population-based study. Sleep. 2009;32:847–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Baird J, Hill CM, Kendrick T, Inskip HM. Infant sleep disturbance is associated with preconceptional psychological distress: findings from the Southampton Women’s Survey. Sleep. 2009;32:566–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Martin J, Hiscock H, Hardy P, Davey B, Wake M. Adverse associations of infant and child sleep problems and parent health: an Australian population study. Pediatrics. 2007;119:947–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Dennis CL, Ross L. Relationships among infant sleep patterns, maternal fatigue, and development of depressive symptomatology. Birth. 2005;32:187–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kurth E, Kennedy HP, Spichiger E, Hösli I, Stutz EZ. Crying babies, tired mothers: what do we know? A systematic review. Midwifery. 2011;27:187–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Tikotzky L. Postpartum maternal sleep, maternal depressive symptoms and self-perceived mother–infant emotional relationship. Behav Sleep Med. 2016;14:5–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lee K, Zaffke ME, Mcenany G. Parity and sleep patterns during after pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2000;95:14–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Montgomery-Downs HE, Insana SP, Clegg-Kraynok MM, Mancini LM. Normative longitudinal maternal sleep: the first 4 postpartum months. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010;203:465e1–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Anders TF, Sadeh A, Appareddy V. Normal sleep in neonates and children. In: Ferber R, Krieger M, editors. Principles and practice of sleep medicine in the child. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company; 1995. p. 7–18.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Stremler R, Hodnett E, Lee K, MacMillan S, Mill C, Ongcangco L, Willan A. A behavioral-educational intervention to promote maternal and infant sleep: a pilot randomized, controlled trial. Sleep. 2006;29:1609–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Pinilla T, Birch LL. Help me make it through the night: behavioral entrainment of breast-fed infants’ sleep patterns. Pediatrics. 1993;91:436–44.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Wolfson A, Lacs P, Futterman A. Effects of parent training on infant sleep patterns, parents’ stress, and perceived parental competence. J Consult Clinical Psychol. 1992;60:41–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Adachi Y, Sawa R, Ueda M, Shimai S. The relationship between sleep and subjective mental health at one month postpartum in Japanese women. Jpn J Public Health. 2018;65:646–54 ([Nihon Kōshū Eisei Zasshi] in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hayama J, Adachi Y, Nishino N, Ohryoji F. Impact of parenting behavior relevant to infant’s sleep on maternal sleep and health. Japanese J Public Health. 2008;55:693–700 (Nihon Kōshū Eisei Zasshi in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Adachi Y, Sato C, Nishino N, Oryoji F, Hayama J, Yamagami T. A brief parental education for shaping sleep habits in 4-month -old infants. Clin Med Res. 2009;7:85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Mindell JA. Empirically supported treatments in pediatric psychology: bedtime refusal and night wakings in young children. J Pediatric Psychol. 1999;24:465–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Ramchandani P, Wiggs L, Webb V, Stores G. A systematic review of treatments for settling problems and night waking in young children. BMJ. 2000;320:209–13.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kerr S, Jowett S. How to help your baby sleep well, Department of Nursing & Midwifery Studies University of Glasgow, 1993.

  21. Schmitt BD. The prevention of sleep problems. Clin Perinatol. 1985;12:453–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lee KA, Gay CL. Can modification to bedroom environment improve the sleep of a new parents? Two randomized control trial. Res Nurs Health. 2011;34:7–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hiscock H, Cook F, Bayer J, Le H, Mensah F, Cann W, Symon B, James-Roberts I. Preventing early infant sleep and crying problems and postnatal depression: a randomized trial. Pediatrics. 2014;133:e346–e354354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Kempler L, Sharpe L, Bartlett D. Sleep education during pregnancy for new mothers. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2012; 12:155. https://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/12/155.

  25. Stremler R, Hodnett E, Kenton L, Lee K, Weiss S, Wenston J, Willan A. Effect of behavioral-educational intervention on sleep for primiparous women and their infants in early postpartum: multisite randomized controlled trial. [BMJ2013].https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/346/bmj.f1164.full.pdf. 14 Mar 2017.

  26. The Association for Preventive Medicine of Japan. The childcare support for mothers by lifestyle habits improvement and parent skill education from pregnancy to postpartum. 2010 The report of a grant project from Welfare Medical Organization of Independent Administrative Institution.

  27. Bentler PM, Yuan KH. Structural equation modeling with small samples: test statistics. Multivar Behav Res. 1999;34:181–97.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Camerota M, Propper CB, Teti DM. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors predicting infant sleep. Dev Rev. 2019;53:100871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2019.1008717Aug2020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Douglas J. Training parents to manage their child’s sleep problem. In: Schaefer CE, Briesmeister JM, editors. Handbook of Parent Training. New York: Wiley Interscience; 1989. p. 13–37.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Mindell JA, Kuhn B, Lewin DS, Meltzer LJ, Sadeh A. Behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. Sleep. 2006;29(10):1263–76.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. American Academy of Pediatrics. Your child’s sleep. In Shelov SP(Editor-in-chief) Caring for your baby and young child. Bantam Books, USA, 2009, pp 837–848.

  32. Mindell JA, Owens JA. Sleep in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. In: A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2003 pp 22–41.

  33. Ueda M, Adachi Y, Kotake K, Kubota T. Relationships between physical activities and mental health after childbirth. Jpn J Maternal Health. 2014;55:350–9 (Bosei Eisei in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Lillis TA, Hamilton NA, Pressman SD, Khou CS. The association of daytime maternal napping and exercise with nighttime sleep in first-time mothers between 3 and 6 months postpartum. Behav Sleep Med. 2019;2017(00):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2016.123958015Feb.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

In this study, we received a grant from the National Health and Welfare Organization “Longevity, Parenting, Disability Fund” and The Mental Health Okamoto Memorial Foundation. There is no COI to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Behavioral Health, 3-29-11 Ishizaka, Dazaifu, 818-0118, Fukuoka, Japan

    Yoshiko Adachi

  2. Adachi Medical Clinic, Chikugo, 833-0031, Fukuoka, Japan

    Yoshiko Adachi & Kyo Adachi

  3. Faculty of Nursing, Shumei Daigaku, Yachiyo, 276-0003, Chiba, Japan

    Takeshi Katsuki

  4. Faculty of Global and Science Studies, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, 753-8511, Yamaguchi, Japan

    Masumi Ueda

  5. Research Institute and Health Science, Chubu University, Kasugai, 487-8501, Aichi, Japan

    Soichiro Miyazaki

Authors
  1. Yoshiko Adachi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takeshi Katsuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Masumi Ueda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kyo Adachi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Soichiro Miyazaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoshiko Adachi.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Adachi, Y., Katsuki, T., Ueda, M. et al. Interrelationship between sleep quality of 1-month old infants and their mothers’ corresponding activities. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 19, 45–54 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-020-00286-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-020-00286-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation