A Systematic Review on Attachment and Sleep at Preschool Age

Abstract

Sleep is a biological process that impacts nearly every domain of a child’s life. Sleep-wake regulation influences and it is highly influenced by developmental variables related to parent-child relationships, such as attachment. The main goal of the present systematic review is to analyze and integrate the findings of empirical studies investigating the relations between attachment and sleep in preschool age, a period marked by important developmental changes that challenge both attachment system and sleep-wake regulation. A database search was performed using a combination of relevant keywords, leading to the identification of 524 articles, with 19 manuscripts assessed for eligibility; finally, seven studies (2344 children) were included. Overall, the findings were not consistent, with some studies reporting significant associations between attachment security and sleep quality, as well as between attachment insecurity and sleep problems, whereas others did not find significant associations. The results are discussed in light of the available theoretical models and integrated in the context of measurement approaches to attachment and sleep heterogeneity, aiming to guide future research on the topic.