Mediate Michigan

While researchers have known that marital conflict can cause behavioral problems among children of school age, new findings suggest acrimony can lead to sleep difficulties in infants.Specifically, researchers found that marital instability when the child was nine months old was related to child sleep problems at 18 months, including difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, according to study author Anne Mannering, Ph.D.

“If sleep problems persist, this can correlate with problems in school, inattention and behavioral issues,” Mannering said. “Parents should be aware that stress in the marriage can potentially impact their child even at a very young age.”

The research appears in the journal Child Development.

via Marital Conflict Affects Infants’ Sleep | Psych Central News.