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Original research
Reference centiles for infant sleep parameters from 4 to 16 weeks of age: findings from an Irish cohort
  1. Marc Paul O Sullivan1,2,3,
  2. Vicki Livingstone1,2,
  3. Irina Korotchikova4,
  4. Eugene M Dempsey1,2,
  5. Deirdre M Murray1,2,
  6. Geraldine B Boylan1,2
  1. 1 INFANT Research Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
  2. 2 Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
  3. 3 Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg
  4. 4 Medical Education Unit, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
  1. Correspondence to Dr Marc Paul O Sullivan, INFANT Research Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; marc.osullivan{at}umail.ucc.ie

Abstract

Objectives To establish unconditional reference centiles for sleep parameters in infants 4–16 weeks of age.

Design and setting Secondary data analysis of sleep parameters recorded at 4–16 weeks of age in a longitudinal randomised controlled trial (RCT) (BabySMART).

Patients Healthy term infants assigned to the non-intervention arm of the RCT.

Main outcome measures Infants’ sleep duration was recorded by parents/guardians daily, from week 2–16 of age using a sleep diary. Reference centiles for total, daytime, night-time and longest sleep episode duration were estimated using multilevel modelling.

Results One hundred and six infants, mean (SD) gestational age of 39.9 (1.2) weeks and mean (SD) birth weight of 3.6 (0.5) kg had sleep recorded contributing 1264 measurements for each sleep parameter. Between 4 and 16 weeks of age total sleep duration in a 24-hour period, night-time sleep duration in a 12-hour period and infant’s longest sleep episode duration increased, while daytime sleep duration in a 12-hour period decreased.

Conclusions Reference centiles up to 4 months of age in infants highlight the gradual decrease in daytime sleep and large increases in night-time sleep, which occur in tandem with increasing lengths of sleep episodes. These reference centiles provide useful sleep values for infant sleep trajectory occurring in early life and may be helpful for parents and clinicians.

Trial registration number NCT03381027.

  • Sleep
  • Infant Development
  • Growth
  • Child Development
  • Child Health

Data availability statement

No data are available.

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2022-324016

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    Data availability statement

    No data are available.

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors MOS conceptualised the study, carried out the analyses, drafted the initial manuscript and reviewed and revised the manuscript; VL conceptualised the study, carried out the analyses and reviewed and revised the manuscript; IK conceptualised and reviewed and revised the manuscript; EMD and DMM designed and conceptualised the study and reviewed and revised the manuscript; GBB designed, conceptualised, coordinated, provided study supervision, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and is guarantor; all authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

    • Funding The research was funded by Science Foundation Ireland (15/SP/3091; 12/RC/2272) and Johnson & Johnson.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.