Temperament and Sleep Characteristics in Two-Month-Old Infants
Igor A. Kelmanson
Sleep and Hypnosis: A Journal of Clinical Neuroscience and Psychopathology 2004;6(2):67-73
The study aimed at assessing possible relationship between behaviour features during
sleep and temperament covered period from 2001 to 2002 and comprised 115
randomly selected, apparently healthy infants from the community setting, aged two
months who were singletons born at term with normal weight (>2500 g). Early Infancy
Temperament Questionnaire was used to describe different aspects of infant
temperament: activity, rhythmicity, approach, adaptability, intensity, mood, persistence,
distractibility and threshold. Infant behavioural features during sleep were estimated
using modified Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. The infants with more negative
mood more often required rocking or rhythmic movements to fall asleep, resisted
sleeping alone, slept too little, were restless and moved a lot during sleep, woke up
during night screaming, sweating and being inconsolable; less often could return to
sleep after waking without parental interference. Infants with higher intensity less
often fell asleep alone. More active infants less often slept about the same amount
each day. Less distractible babies were less often ready to go to bed at bedtime, more
frequently resisted going to bed at bedtime, were reluctant to sleep alone, slept too
little and less often slept about the same amount each day. More rhythmic infants were
more often ready to go to bed at bedtime and less often resisted going to bed at
bedtime; less often they slept too little, were restless and moved a lot during sleep,
woke up very early in the morning.
Keywords:
behavior, CSHQ, EITQ, infants, sleep, sudden infant death syndrome,
temperament