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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

Introduction The influence of birth order has been investigated in many areas of child development, but few studies have examined its relationship with infant sleep; those that have yield contradictory findings. Moreover, nocturnal parental practices may differ depending on the number of children, but these characteristics are rarely studied. This study aimed to compare nocturnal parental practices and sleep patterns of first-born to non-first-born 6-month-olds. Methods The mothers of fifty-two 6-month-olds completed a 14-day sleep diary to record their infant’s sleep. The following variables were averaged: total nocturnal sleep duration (in minutes), longest consecutive sleep duration (without interruption; in minutes) and number of nocturnal awakenings. Independent t-tests were used to compare each sleep variable between first-borns (n = 21) and non-first-borns (2nd, 3rd or 4th born, n = 31). Chi-square tests were used to compare parental sleep practices (breastfeeding frequency and infant sleep location) between first-borns and non-first-borns. Results First-borns had a longer consecutive nocturnal sleep duration (417.83 ± 142.42 vs. 310.08 ± 118.23; p < .01) and fewer nocturnal awakenings (1.69 ± 1.07 vs. 2.57 ± 1.09; p < .01) than non-first-borns. However, first-born and non-first-born infants did not differ in terms of total nocturnal sleep duration (p > .05). Breastfeeding frequency and sleep location differed as a function of birth order: 57.9% of first-born infants were exclusively breastfed, compared to 89.7% of non-firstborn infants (χ2 (1, N = 52) = 6.56; p < .05). Furthermore, 20.0% of first-borns slept in the parents’ room, compared to 56.7% of non-first-borns (χ2 (1, N = 50) = 6.62; p < .05). Conclusion First-born infants had longer periods of consecutive sleep and fewer nocturnal awakenings than non-first-borns; however, birth order was not associated with maternal reports of total nocturnal sleep duration. These results suggest that non-first-borns have more fragmented sleep. Moreover, sleep-related practices also differed between mothers of first-born and non-first-born infants. A study conducted in a larger sample and using objective sleep measures could clarify whether these different sleep patterns reflect specific nocturnal parental sleep-related practices, or if the presence of other children in the home play a role in infant sleep consolidation. Support (if any) SSHRC, FRQS

Introduction Research on the link between sleep quality and depression in the postpartum period has focused primarily on mothers. Although fathers also experience poorer postpartum sleep and are at risk of developing depressive symptoms, they remain understudied. To date, the limited research focusing on paternal sleep and depression has relied on subjective measures of sleep, without objective verification. The current study implemented a multi-measure approach using subjective and objective indices to explore the relationship between sleep and depressive symptoms in fathers at 6 months postpartum. Methods Fifty-four healthy fathers participated in this cross-sectional study. Paternal sleep was assessed for 2 weeks utilizing: 1) a self-report daily sleep diary, 2) a self-report perceived sleep quality rating, and 3) actigraphy. Subjective indices via the sleep diary measured participants’ perception of their total nocturnal sleep duration and total number of awakenings (self-reported sleep duration and fragmentation). Perceived sleep quality ratings measured participants’ perceptions of how well they thought they slept. Objective sleep variables measured through actigraphy included: total nocturnal sleep duration, number of awakenings, sleep efficiency, and wake after sleep onset (WASO). Paternal depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale (CES-D). Results Regression analyses showed that subjective sleep variables (measured by the sleep diary) and objective sleep variables (measured by actigraphy) did not significantly predict postpartum depressive symptoms in fathers (p > .05). However, self-reported perceived sleep quality significantly predicted postpartum depressive symptom severity in fathers (R2 = .172, p = .034). Conclusion These findings advance our understanding of the link between sleep and depression in fathers. The results highlight the important role of fathers’ perceptions of sleep quality, rather than the actual quality or quantity of their sleep (measured through the sleep diary or actigraphy), in the development of postpartum depressive symptoms. The multi-measure approach to sleep implemented in this study expanded our knowledge about how different facets of sleep relate to depression. These findings have important implications for the development of clinical interventions targeting paternal sleep and mood in the months following childbirth. Support (if any) Social-Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS)

Introduction Certain temperament characteristics in infants have been shown to be associated with infant sleep patterns. However, other sleep-related practices, such as co-sleeping and breastfeeding, are also known to be associated with sleep in infancy and are not always taken into account in studies assessing the association between temperament and sleep. Thus, this study aims to examine the associations between infant temperament and sleep parameters at six months of age, while controlling for co-sleeping and breastfeeding practices. Methods Mother-infant dyads (n=60) were recruited in the metropolitan Montreal area and consented to participate in the study. Infant sleep was reported by mothers at six months of age (±1 month) using sleep diaries (two-week period). Total nocturnal and longest consecutive sleep duration were retrieved from the diaries and averaged through the two-week period. Temperament was measured with the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R). Sleep-related parental practices (co-sleeping and breastfeeding) were measured using the Sleep Practices Questionnaire (SPQ). Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the degree to which the temperament composite negative affectivity predicted total nocturnal and longest consecutive sleep duration while controlling for breastfeeding and co-sleeping practices. Results Regression analyses revealed significant regression models for total nocturnal (F(3,44)=6.25, p=.001, R2=.30), and longest consecutive sleep duration (F(3,44)=6.26, p=.001, R2=.30). Greater infant negative affectivity predicted shorter nocturnal sleep duration (β;;=-0.28, p=.034) and shorter longest consecutive sleep duration (β;;=-0.34, p=.010) after adjusting for breastfeeding and co-sleeping practices. Conclusion Findings suggest infants with greater negative affectivity sleep for fewer hours during the night and have shorter periods of consecutive sleep, even when sleep-related parental practices are considered. These results provide further support for the relationship between infant temperament and sleep at six months of age. Future research should investigate the relationship between infant temperament and sleep using paternal report in addition to maternal report. Support SSHRC