Citation

Coulombe JA, Reid GJ. Behav. Sleep Med. 2014; 12(2): 89-105.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology , The University of Western Ontario , London , Ontario , Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15402002.2013.764527

PMID

23480020

Abstract

Little is known about behaviors displayed by preschoolers during night-waking. Mothers (N = 203) of community preschoolers completed the Children's Night-waking Behavior Scale and measures of night-waking, co-sleeping, and daytime behavior. Approximately 1/2 of wakings involved calling out, getting out of bed, and requests for comfort; 1/4 involved activity, fear, or instrumental requests. Specific associations between night-waking behaviors, night-waking, and bedtime and daytime behaviors were observed; associations were not consistent across child gender and age. For example, comfort requests were associated with mothers' perceptions of sleep as problematic in 4- and 5-year-old children only (ρ = .42); activity requests were associated with hyperactivity for boys only (r = .36). Understanding night-waking requires consideration of factors beyond parenting, such as children's behavior, age, and gender.

Language: en