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A significant number of parents experience disrupted sleep following their infant's discharge from the neonatal unit. However, the extent of sleep disruption among both mothers and fathers of preterm infants after hospital discharge remains poorly documented. Few studies have assessed parental sleep quality using objective measures such as actigraphy. Similarly, limited research has examined the sleep quality of infants after discharge from the neonatal unit. This study aimed to describe the sleep patterns of preterm infants and their parents one month after discharge from the NICU. It also sought to compare mothers' and fathers' sleep. Thirty families participated in this descriptive study. One month post-discharge, parents and infants wore an actigraph for three consecutive days and nights to monitor sleep. Each parent completed a sleep diary and self-report questionnaires about their own sleep, while one parent recorded the infant's sleep. Results indicated that although both parents experienced sleep disturbances, mothers spent more time awake during the night and had lower sleep efficiency compared to fathers. Infants' sleep duration was consistent with current guidelines. Healthcare professionals should consider the sleep characteristics of both parents following hospital discharge to better support families and improve access to community resources.
Lebel et al. (Fri,) studied this question.