Infant crying problems and symptoms of sleeping problems predict attachment disorganization at 18 months.

This longitudinal study examined the associations among infant crying, symptoms of sleeping problems, and attachment while considering the influence of maternal sensitivity and depressive symptoms. One hundred and five healthy full-term infants (42.9% female) were assessed for crying and symptoms of sleeping problems at 3 and 18 months via parental interview. Maternal sensitivity was measured through researcher observation, and attachment was measured at 18 months using the Strange Situation procedure. It was found that infant crying and symptoms of sleeping problems were not linked to the organized patterns of secure or insecure (avoidant versus resistant) attachment. However, when the disorganized attachment was considered, there were direct links found from infant crying and symptoms of sleeping problems at 3 months ( β = .22, p < .05) and 18 months ( β = .21, p < .05). Thus, crying and symptoms of sleeping problems as early as 3 months may indicate a disruption in the coherence of infants' relationship to their caretakers.