title: Goodness of fit between prenatal maternal sleep and infant sleep: Associations with maternal depression and attachment security.
abstract: The current study prospectively examined the ways in which goodness of fit between maternal and infant sleep contributes to maternal depressive symptoms and the mother-child relationship across the first years of life. In a sample of 173 mother-child dyads, maternal prenatal sleep, infant sleep, maternal depressive symptoms, and mother-child attachment security were assessed via self-report, actigraphy, and observational measures. Results suggested that a poor fit between mothers' prenatal sleep and infants' sleep at 8 months (measured by sleep diary and actigraphy) was associated with maternal depressive symptoms at 15 months. Additionally, maternal depression mediated the association between the interplay of mother and infant sleep (measured by sleep diary) and mother-child attachment security at 30 months. Findings emphasize the importance of the match between mother and infant sleep on maternal wellbeing and mother-child relationships and highlight the role of mothers' perceptions of infant sleep.
authors.affiliation: Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, United States. Electronic address: rebecca_newland@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Newland
authors.affiliation: Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, United States.
authors.forename: Stephanie H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Parade
authors.affiliation: Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, United States.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dickstein
authors.affiliation: Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center, United States.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seifer
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010553:Personality Development; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D012890:Sleep; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Goodness of fit; Infant sleep; Maternal depression; Parent-child relationships