What affects the age of first sleeping through the night?

Abstract

Objective: To ascertain the age at which an infant first sleeps regularly through the night and the factors affecting this age.

Methods: A representative cross sectional sample of 700 infants in south-east England were studied. Information was collected on 511 (73.0%) of the infants by parental interview. Obstetric records were also examined.

Results: Fifty per cent of babies slept through by 8 weeks and 75% by 12 weeks. Multivariate survival analysis used to investigate 61 potential factors found that a heavier birthweight, female gender and co-sleeping less than 2 hours or not at all; younger mothers, school leaving age less than 17 years, stress factors (divorce and no separation from partner for more than a month in the last 12 months); no central heating, and the baby not sharing a room with siblings were associated with an earlier age at which an infant first sleeps through the night.

Conclusions: Little of the variation between children in age of first sleeping through the night could be explained by these nine factors.