Night waking among 1-year olds: a study of maternal separation anxiety

The relationships between aspects of parenting and infants' sleep patterns were studied longitudinally with 81 mother-child pairs. Mothers' parenting orientation at 6 months was defined using the Facilitator-Regulator distinction. When the infants were 12 months old, mother and child participated in a laboratory-based developmental assessment which involved a brief separation episode. Upon reunion, mothers reported on their concerns during separation; they also described their child's sleep. It was found that high maternal separation anxiety was related to night waking. In addition, night waking was more frequent among first born babies of Facilitators compared with Regulators. How maternal separation anxiety and care-giving orientation regulate aspects of the child's sleep awaits further explanation.