INFANT TEMPERAMENT - IS THERE A RELATION TO SLEEP-WAKE STATES AND MATERNAL NIGHTTIME BEHAVIOR

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between infant temperament and infant sleep-wake state characteristics, maternal nighttime behavior, and psychological characteristics. The nighttime sleep and maternal nighttime interventions of 21 fullterm infants were videotaped at home at 3 weeks and 3 months of age. Mothers completed measures of psychological distress, self-efficacy, parenting stress, and infant temperament. Infant temperament was also measured behaviorally at 3 months. Infant sleep-wake state indices were more closely related to behaviorally assessed temperament than to maternal ratings of infant temperament. Maternal nighttime interventions were generally unrelated to infant temperament. The percent of infant nighttime awake at 3 weeks, maternal self-efficacy, and parenting hassles differentially predicted maternal ratings of fussy/difficult and unpredictable infant temperament. Sleep-wake state characteristics appeared to be related to infant temperament reflecting similar aspects of infant biological organization as well as behavior that influences maternal perceptions of their infants.