Associations between chronotype, sleep quality, maternal mental health, and child development in mother-infant dyads

Larissa Tenório Andrade Correia; Daniel Gomes Coimbra; Daniel Leite Góes Gitaí; Lívia Leite Góes Gitaí; Tiago Gomes de Andrade

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2023.03.023

Associations between chronotype, sleep quality, maternal mental health, and child development in mother-infant dyads

Sleep Med. 2023 Jun:106:90-96. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2023.03.023. Epub 2023 Mar 30.

Authors

Larissa Tenório Andrade Correia¹, Daniel Gomes Coimbra², Daniel Leite Góes Gitaí³, Lívia Leite Góes Gitaí⁴, Tiago Gomes de Andrade⁵

Affiliations

¹ Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Arapiraca, Alagoas, Brazil. Electronic address: larissa.correia@arapiraca.ufal.br.
² Circadian Medicine Center, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil. Electronic address: dgcoimbra@famed.ufal.br.
³ Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Brazil. Electronic address: daniel.gitai@icbs.ufal.br.
⁴ Circadian Medicine Center, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil. Electronic address: livia.gitai@famed.ufal.br.
⁵ Circadian Medicine Center, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil. Electronic address: tiago@famed.ufal.br.

PMID: 37075531
DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2023.03.023

Abstract

Objective/background: Studies on circadian rhythms throughout development and their physiological and behavioral impacts at early stages are still scarce. Previous studies have shown that mother-infant interactions are important for both sleep and child development. In this cross-sectional study we investigated whether infants' chronotype, sleep and development were associated with their respective mothers' chronotype, sleep, mental health and socioeconomic status.

Patients/methods: the following were used to evaluate mothers: the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 (SRQ-20). To assess the infants' characteristics, the following were used: the 19th question from the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), infant nocturnal midpoint of sleep (iMSF), Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) and Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ3). Socioeconomic aspects were assessed using the Brazilian Economic Class Criterion of the Brazilian Association of Research Companies (ABEP).

Results: A hundred and eight mother-infant dyads participated in the study. Sleep disorders were observed in 38 (35%) infants and atypical development (ASQ3) in 35 (32%). The infants' sleep phases were partially explained by the mother's chronotype. Infants' sleep duration was negatively correlated with sleep latency, which was higher in the group with atypical development. Mothers of infants with sleep disorders or discordant chronotypes (32%) had higher Pittsburgh scores (worse sleep quality) and higher SRQ-20 scores (screen for Common Mental Disorders).

Conclusions: We found evidence for the contribution of sleep quality and chronotypes to mothers' mental health and infant development. However, further studies are needed to confirm the influence of sleep and circadian phenotypes in the early stages.

Keywords: Child development; Chronotype; Circadian rhythms; Mental health; Sleep.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child Development
Chronotype
Circadian Rhythm / physiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Mental Health
Mothers*
Sleep / physiology
Sleep Quality
Sleep Wake Disorders*
Surveys and Questionnaires