Infant sleep patterns are influenced by multiple factors; increasing outdoor activity and limiting screen exposure help infants form good sleep patterns.
Key Findings
Results
Latent class analysis identified two distinct sleep patterns among 12-month-old infants: a good sleep pattern characterized by healthier sleep habits and fewer sleep problems, and a poor sleep pattern characterized by poorer sleep habits and more sleep problems.
A total of 1,483 12-month-old infants from the Shanghai Birth Cohort were included.
Sleep status was assessed using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire.
Latent class analysis integrated sleep behavior and sleep problem variables to identify these two typical sleep patterns.
Results
Infants still being breastfed at 12 months were more likely to develop poor sleep patterns compared with infants who had stopped breastfeeding.
OR=1.725, P<0.001.
This association was identified via binary logistic regression analysis.
The comparison group was infants who had already stopped breastfeeding at 12 months.
Results
Infants from families experiencing economic hardship were more likely to develop poor sleep patterns compared with infants from families with better economic status.
OR=1.638, P=0.003.
Family economic status was included as a variable in the binary logistic regression model.
Results
Outdoor activity for more than one hour per day was associated with better (good) sleep patterns in infants.
OR=0.633, P<0.001.
This protective association was identified in the binary logistic regression model.
The threshold used was greater than 1 hour of outdoor activity per day.
Results
Screen exposure increased the risk of poor sleep patterns in infants.
OR=1.887, P<0.001.
Screen exposure was examined as a variable in the binary logistic regression model.
This was the strongest odds ratio among the identified influencing factors.
What This Means
This research studied sleep patterns in 1,483 one-year-old babies in Shanghai, China, using a statistical method called latent class analysis to group infants based on their sleep behaviors and problems. The researchers found that babies generally fell into one of two groups: those with good sleep habits and few sleep problems, and those with poor sleep habits and more sleep problems. They then looked at what factors were associated with which group a baby fell into.
Several factors were linked to poorer sleep outcomes. Babies who were still breastfeeding at 12 months were about 72% more likely to have poor sleep patterns compared to babies who had stopped breastfeeding. Babies from economically disadvantaged families were about 64% more likely to have poor sleep patterns than those from better-off families. On the other hand, babies who spent more than one hour per day in outdoor activities were less likely to have poor sleep patterns, while babies who were exposed to screens (such as televisions or phones) were nearly twice as likely to develop poor sleep patterns.
This research suggests that daily habits and environmental factors play an important role in shaping how well infants sleep at one year of age. Specifically, it points to increased outdoor time and reduced screen exposure as practical, modifiable behaviors that may help infants develop healthier sleep patterns. The findings also highlight that economic circumstances at home may affect infant sleep, suggesting that sleep-related support might be especially important for families facing financial hardship.
Wei W, Wang H, Zhang J. (2026). [Infant sleep patterns based on latent class analysis and their influencing factors].. Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2506105