How Are Sleep, Settle, and Crying Behaviors in 2-Month-Olds Related to Concurrent Family Factors and Later Development?
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| Title: | How Are Sleep, Settle, and Crying Behaviors in 2-Month-Olds Related to Concurrent Family Factors and Later Development? |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Charlotte Viktorsson, Irzam Hardiansyah, Amelia Juslin, Terje Falck-Ytter |
| Source: | Developmental Science. 2026 29(2). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Sleep, Crying, Infant Behavior, Child Development, Incidence, Age Differences, Family Income, Predictor Variables, Foreign Countries, Individual Characteristics, Family Characteristics |
| Geographic Terms: | Sweden |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70126 |
| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| Abstract: | Sleep, settle, and crying behaviors represent basic regulatory functions in early infancy, yet little is known about the factors that influence these behaviors and their relationship to later development in the general population. In this study, we assessed a sample of 362 infants, measuring parent-rated number of wakeups per night, time to settle, and crying duration at 2 months of corrected age (range 27-99 days), along with various background variables. We also measured several aspects of the infants' later development at 14 and 24 months. Age (corrected) at the first assessment showed a significant association with number of wakeups per night ([beta] = -0.212, p < 0.001) and crying duration ([beta] = -0.154, p = 0.012). Family income was a significant predictor of crying duration ([beta] = -0.128, p = 0.018) and time to settle ([beta] = -0.147, p = 0.011). Sleep, settle, and crying behaviors at 2 months were not significantly associated with parent-rated language comprehension or socio-communicative abilities at 14 months, nor with vocabulary, autistic traits, or hyperactivity at 24 months. While some sleep and settle behaviors in the first few months can be challenging for caregivers, our findings suggest that they are not indicators of atypical development in early childhood in the general population. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1498606 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Sleep, settle, and crying behaviors represent basic regulatory functions in early infancy, yet little is known about the factors that influence these behaviors and their relationship to later development in the general population. In this study, we assessed a sample of 362 infants, measuring parent-rated number of wakeups per night, time to settle, and crying duration at 2 months of corrected age (range 27-99 days), along with various background variables. We also measured several aspects of the infants' later development at 14 and 24 months. Age (corrected) at the first assessment showed a significant association with number of wakeups per night ([beta] = -0.212, p < 0.001) and crying duration ([beta] = -0.154, p = 0.012). Family income was a significant predictor of crying duration ([beta] = -0.128, p = 0.018) and time to settle ([beta] = -0.147, p = 0.011). Sleep, settle, and crying behaviors at 2 months were not significantly associated with parent-rated language comprehension or socio-communicative abilities at 14 months, nor with vocabulary, autistic traits, or hyperactivity at 24 months. While some sleep and settle behaviors in the first few months can be challenging for caregivers, our findings suggest that they are not indicators of atypical development in early childhood in the general population. |
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| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70126 |
