The relationship between mothers' maladaptive schemas and sleep problems in 12‐to‐36‐month‐old children

The role of attachment and sleep behaviors

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11276258
AutoresNursah Yilmaz (0000-0001-7796-6290, Department of Psychology Private Practice Istanbul Turkey), Ezgi Sen Yilmaz (0000-0003-0120-6652, Department of Psychology Rumeli University Istanbul Turkey), Pinar Algedik (0000-0002-9617-6224, Department of Psychiatry Halic University Istanbul Turkey, autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Volumen47
Número3
Páginase70078-e70078
Fecha de publicación2026-05-01
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInfant Mental Health Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0163-9641 • E-ISSN: 1097-0355
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/imhj.70078
PMID41869703
OpenAlexW7140108555
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas45

Sleep problems in early childhood are common and may be shaped by maternal psychological factors. This study, performed in Turkey, explored the association between mothers' early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and sleep difficulties in children aged 12–36 months. Mothers’ early maladaptive schemas were assessed using the Young Schema Questionnaire–Short Form 3 (YSQ‐S3), and sleep difficulties in children were defined according to BISQ‐derived clinical criteria. The sample consisted of 58.8% boys and 41.2% girls. Among 153 mothers, those whose children had sleep problems exhibited lower levels of “enmeshment/dependence” and “punitiveness” schemas. In contrast, higher maternal “failure to achieve” scores were associated with an increased likelihood of child sleep problems, while elevated “enmeshment/dependence” scores and receiving occasional support from a partner or family served as protective factors. Notably, maternal age over 30 emerged as a strong risk factor, whereas children aged 25–36 months demonstrated fewer sleep problems compared to younger counterparts. These findings point to possible associations between maternal schematic tendencies and child sleep characteristics across developmental contexts. These preliminary observations may highlight areas for further research on caregiver–child processes relevant to early childhood sleep

Cognition · Early childhood · Sleep disorder · Infant Health and Development · Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments · Sleep and related disorders

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