Schlafstörungen und deren Erkennung bei Früh- und Neugeborenen im ersten Lebensjahr

Sleep Disorders and Their Detection in Preterm and Newborn Infants During the First Year of Life

by Sarah Elisa Berkemeier
Doctoral thesis
Date of Examination:2025-12-09
Date of issue:2025-11-19
Advisor:PD Dr. Jana Katharina Dieks
Referee:PD Dr. Jana Katharina Dieks
Referee:Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Marschik
Persistent Address: http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-11643

 

 

Files in this item

Name:Berkemeier_Sarah_Elisa_Dissertation_SUBeDiss.pdf
Size:1.83Mb
Format:PDF

This file will be freely accessible after 2026-01-06.

Abstract

English

Sleep disturbances in newborns affect the child’s development as well as the emotional wellbeing and quality of life of their parents and the entire family. To date, the causes, manifestations, and early predictors of sleep problems in preterm and full-term infants remain incompletely studied. This study combined a prospective longitudinal cohort study and retrospective cross-sectional study which compared the prevalence and impact of sleep disturbances in preterm and full-term infants. For this study, parents, and healthcare providers of 508 infants completed questionnaires regarding the child’s sleep. In addition to subjective assessments, the questionnaire included the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire – Infant Version (CSHQ-I) to provide objective and comparable measures of infant sleep behavior. Parents were surveyed about their child’s sleep across the first year of life. The analysis of the CSHQ-I revealed no clear differences in sleep behavior between preterm and full-term infants throughout the first year of life. Parental and staff assessments likewise showed only minor differences. However, the results demonstrated a significant association between general parental worry and poorer sleep habits in both groups, with this relationship being particularly pronounced among preterm infants. Parents of both preterm and full-term children expressed a need for professional support regarding sleep issues during the entire first year. Infants whose parents felt very well informed about newborn sleep consistently showed better CSHQ-I scores compared to those whose parents felt only adequately or poorly informed. A potential link between prematurity and sleep disturbances could not be conclusively confirmed in this study. Nonetheless, the impact of infant sleep problems on parental quality of life was evident. The strong association between parental worry and poorer sleep habits, together with the high demand for additional professional guidance, highlight the importance of preparing parents—of both preterm and full-term infants—for the occurrence and management of sleep problems.
Keywords: Sleep Disorders; CHSQ-I; Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire - Infant Version; Newborn; Preterm