Children’s Temperament and Parenting Practices as Sleep Quality Predictors in Preschoolers

Sleep in preschool age is important for physical, cognitive, regulatory and emotional development of the child; at the same time, individual characteristics of the child and characteri­stics of the family environment have a significant impact. The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between the quality of sleep of preschoolers, their characteristics of temperament and parental practices used by their mothers. The sample consists of 244 mothers aged 23 to 49 years (M = 35.27, SD = 5.97), the age of children is from 62 to 92 months (M = 78.21, SD = 4.32), 49% are boys. Data collection methods: Child Behavior Questionnaire – Very Short Form, Parental Practices Questionnaire and Sleep Quality Questionnaire. Results: effortful control and warmth as an emotional parenting practice are positive predictors of sleep quality. Negative predictors are surgency, negative reactivity, and parental practices aimed at stimulating cognitive development.