Maternal sensitivity supports infant sleep: evidence from two longitudinal prospective cohorts on maternal childhood maltreatment, maternal sensitivity, and infant sleep.

Authors

Katharina Pittner, Kristina Meyer, Nora K Moog, Georgina Sket, Lea K Bentz, Nina Spägele, Jerod M Rasmussen, Sibylle M Winter, Christine Heim, Pathik D Wadhwa, Sonja Entringer, Claudia Buss

Published in

European child & adolescent psychiatry. Aug 07, 2026. Epub Aug 07, 2026.

Abstract

Maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) has been linked to adverse outcomes in the next generation, including infant sleep, which is crucial for healthy development. This study examined whether maternal sensitivity buffered these effects in 101 German and 117 U.S. mother-infant dyads. Mothers reported on their CM history. Infant night sleep duration was assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. Maternal sensitivity was observed at 6 months. In the German cohort, higher maternal CM predicted shorter infant night sleep (p = .009). Maternal sensitivity moderated this association (p = .038), emphasizing its protective role. While the replication of this interaction was inconclusive in the U.S. sample, the pooled effect across cohorts was significant (p = .03). In the U.S. cohort, maternal sensitivity predicted longer infant sleep (p = .029). Findings highlight that maternal sensitivity supports infant sleep and underscores the need to support parenting, especially in mothers with early adversity.

PMID:
42565879
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Aug 2026.

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