Infant co-sleeping: Associations of maternal attitudes about sleeping arrangements, maternal separation anxiety, and infant temperament

Sleeping arrangements reflect the nature of familial values and practices. Parental perceptions are shaped by ideals surrounding infant care practices and influenced by infants' behaviors. This study explored the associations of maternal attitudes about sleep arrangements, maternal separation anxiety, and infant temperament. One hundred seventy-five mothers of infants between the ages of 3 and 36 months participated in this study. Infants were grouped based on sleeping arrangements; solitary sleepers, exclusive co-sleepers, and reactive co-sleepers. These groups were compared using their mothers' reports of maternal separation anxiety and two assessments of infant temperament. The results showed significant findings between sleeping arrangements and maternal separation anxiety. Mothers that chose solitary sleeping arrangements for their infants displayed lower levels of anxiety than compared to co-sleeping and reactive sleeping arrangements. Additionally, maternal employment status had a significant association towards sleeping arrangements. Mothers were more likely to choose solitary sleeping arrangements when working full-time, reactive when working part-time, and co-sleeping when they were unemployed. These findings are discussed in light of maternal reports and infant temperament assessments.;Keywords: co-sleeping, separation anxiety, infant temperament, maternal attitude, sleeping arrangements.