Abstract
Introduction
Studies suggest that feeling pressure about parenting practices is related to higher levels of stress. However, little is known about the pressure mothers feel about infant sleep-related parenting practices. This is surprising, considering that mothers are often exposed to contradictory information about infant sleep. This exploratory study aimed to 1) identify the proportion of mothers of 6-month-old infants who report feeling pressure about their sleep-related parenting practices and 2) assess the relationships between demographic factors and perceived pressure, and between parenting practices and perceived pressure.
Methods
Fifty-four mothers of 6-month-old infants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Sleep Practices Questionnaire (SPQ). Mothers were asked, “Have you ever felt pressure about your parenting choices and practices related to your child’s sleep?”. Responses ranged from never to always. Linear regressions were conducted to assess the concurrent associations between demographic factors (maternal age, maternal education, parity) and perceived pressure, and between sleep-related parenting practices (feeding method, frequency of bed-sharing, picking up or not picking up the infant when he/she cries at night) and perceived pressure.
Results
Analyses revealed that 5.6% of mothers reported feeling pressure constantly, 20.4% reported feeling pressure quite often, 46.3% reported feeling pressure sometimes, and about a quarter (27.7%) reported feeling pressure rarely or never. Lower maternal education and breastfeeding were associated with feeling more pressure about sleep-related parenting practices (p < .05). Furthermore, mothers reporting that they (or their partner) pick up their infant when he/she cries at night were more likely to report feeling pressure (p < .01). Maternal age, parity, and frequency of bed-sharing were not associated with feeling pressure (p > .05).
Conclusion
The majority of mothers (72.3%) in our sample reported feeling pressure about their sleep-related parenting practices at least sometimes, suggesting that this experience is quite common. Lower maternal education, breastfeeding, and picking up the infant to comfort him/her during the night were associated with higher perceived pressure. Future studies should examine feelings of pressure about sleep-related parenting practices in larger samples of mothers and investigate whether fathers share similar concerns. Moreover, identifying the potential sources of these feelings would represent an interesting clinical avenue.
Support (if any)
SSHRC, FRQS
Infant Sleep Location: Bed Sharing, Room Sharing and Solitary Sleeping at 6 and 12 Weeks Postpartum
