Daytime nap and nighttime breastfeeding are associated with toddlers’ nighttime sleep

Abstract The purpose of the present study is to examine the association between toddlers' sleep arrangements and their nighttime sleep duration and other sleep variables. For this investigation, we performed a study in which child activity and sleep levels were recorded using actigraphy. The pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Machiko Nakagawa, Hidenobu Ohta, Rinshu Shimabukuro, Yoko Asaka, Takayo Nakazawa, Yoshihisa Oishi, Michio Hirata, Akiko Ando, Takashi Ikeda, Yuko Yoshimura, Yusuke Mitani, Yousuke Kaneshi, Keita Morioka, Rika Fukutomi, Kyoko Kobayashi, Miwa Ozawa, Masahiro Takeshima, Kazuo Mishima, Mitsuru Kikuchi, Kazutoshi Cho, Hitoshi Yoda, Isao Kusakawa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2021-02-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81970-6
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Summary:Abstract The purpose of the present study is to examine the association between toddlers' sleep arrangements and their nighttime sleep duration and other sleep variables. For this investigation, we performed a study in which child activity and sleep levels were recorded using actigraphy. The parents of 1.5-year-old toddlers (n = 106) were asked to attach an actigraphy unit to their child’s waist with an adjustable elastic belt and complete a sleep diary for 7 consecutive days. Questionnaires were used to assess the sleep arrangements of the toddlers. There was a significant negative correlation between nap duration and nighttime sleep duration, suggesting that longer nap sleep induces shorter nighttime sleep duration. Among the sleep arrangements, such as nighttime breastfeeding or co-sleeping, only nighttime breastfeeding predicted shorter nighttime sleep duration. Our findings indicate that shorter naps induce a longer nighttime sleep in 1.5-year-old toddlers while nighttime breastfeeding decreases their nighttime sleep duration.
ISSN:2045-2322