Parents need support to find ways to optimise their own sleep without seeing their preterm infant's sleeping patterns as a problem

Aim: This study described how parents perceived their own sleep, and their infants’, during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and after discharge. It also explored the infants’ sleeping location at home. Methods: The study was conducted in the NICUs of two Swedish university hospitals. The parents of 86 infants – 86 mothers and 84 fathers – answered questionnaires during their infants’ hospital stay, at discharge and at the infants’ corrected ages of two, six and 12 months. The parents’ own sleep was explored with the Insomnia Severity Index. Results: Mothers reported more severe insomnia than fathers during their infants’ hospitalisation, and these higher insomnia severity scores were associated with more severe infant sleep problems at discharge (p = 0.027) and at two months (p = 0.006) and 12 months (p = 0.002) of corrected age. During the study period, 4%–10% of the parents reported severe or very severe infant sleeping problems. The bed-sharing rate was 75% after discharge and about 60% at the corrected age of 12 months. Conclusion: Maternal insomnia during an infant's hospital stay was associated with later perceptions of sleep problems in their children. Parents need support to find solutions for optimal sleep without seeing their child's sleeping patterns as a problem.