Sleep, Mood, and Development in Infants

A sleep expert evaluates the relationship of sleep with a baby’s mood and development in infancy.

In a study conducted by a leading children’s hospital in the U.S. and JOHNSON'S®, mothers of 1,351 infants (aged 3-13 months), were assessed to explain the relationship of sleep with mood and development in infancy.

The Internet-based survey asked mothers about their perception of their child’s mood at bedtime, in the morning, and throughout the day. The infant’s mood was documented on a 5-point scale from “very fussy” to “very happy.”

The study found that only 20.1% of infants were considered “very happy” at bedtime, whereas 77.3% were “very happy” in the morning, and 61.1% “very happy” during the day. Differences were found across morning mood ratings for number of night wakings and parental perception of sleep problems.

Overall, the study’s results indicate that sleep patterns and sleep problems during infancy are associated with parental ratings of mood, but not more global developmental outcomes.