The effects of sleep regulation education on parent-baby attachment and babies' sleep patterns

This research was conducted to determine the effects of sleep regulation education on parent-infant attachment and infant sleep patterns. The research was carried out in a mixed model with a pretest-posttest-permanence test control group design. The study group of the research consisted of the mothers and fathers of 6-12 months old babies with normal development followed in the Hitit Erol Olçok Education and Research Hospital, Pediatrics and Health Diseases Polyclinics in the city center of Çorum. As a quantitative data collection tool in the research, the Parent-Baby Attachment Scale developed to measure the attachment of parents to their babies and the Baby Sleep Pattern Scale developed to measure the sleep patterns of babies were used. In order to collect the qualitative data of the research, a semi-structured Education Evaluation Form was used right after the education to determine the opinions of the parents in the experimental group about the education and the effectiveness of the education. In addition, the General Information Form was used to obtain general information about the families and their babies in the experimental group of the research. In order to support the sleep patterns of babies' the Sleep Regulation Education prepared for the parents of the babies was developed and applied as a group activity to the parents of five babies aged 6-12 months. The implementation process was carried out in eight weeks, eight sessions, with the participation of the parents. As a result of the study, when the measurement results of before and after the experimental application were compared, it was observed that there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) between the attachment scores of the mothers to their babies in the experimental group and the attachment scores of the mothers to their babies in the control group. It was determined that there was no significant difference between the attachment scores of the fathers to their babies in the experimental group and attachment scores of the fathers to their babies in the control group after the application (p>0.05). After the application in the experimental group, when the measurement results of before, after and the permanence tests were compared, it was seen that there was no significant difference between the attachment scores of the mothers to their babies' (p>0.05). After the application in the experimental group, when the measurement results of before, after and the permanence tests were compared, it was seen that there was no significant difference between the attachment scores of the fathers to their babies' (p>0.05). It was observed that there was no statistically significant difference between the pretest-posttest attachment scores of the mothers to their babies in the control group (p>0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between the pretest-posttest scores of the fathers to their babies in the control group. In terms of sleep patterns, when the measurement results before and after the experimental application were compared, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the babies' sleep pattern scores according to the mothers in the experimental group, compared to the babies' sleep pattern scores according to the mothers in the control group (p<0.05). It was observed that there was a statistically significant difference between babies' sleep pattern scores according to the fathers in the experimental group, compared to the babies' sleep pattern scores according to the fathers in the control group after the application (p<0.05). When the measurement results of before, after and permanence tests were compared about the babies' sleep pattern scores according to the mothers in the experimental group, it was seen that there was a significant difference between the sleep pattern scores of their babies according to the mothers (p<0.05), and this difference was between the pretest-posttest and the pretest-permanence tests. When the measurement results of before, after and permanence tests were compared about the babies' sleep pattern scores according to the fathers in the experimental group, it was seen that there was a significant difference between the sleep pattern scores of their babies according to the fathers (p<0.05), and this difference was between the pretest-posttest and the pretest-permanence test. There was a statistically significant difference between the pretest-posttest scores of babies' sleep pattern scores according to the mothers in the control group (p<0.05), and it was observed that there was no statistically significant difference between the pretest-posttest scores of their babies' sleep pattern scores according to the fathers in the control group (p>0.05). When the qualitative findings of the study were examined, it was determined that the parents made statements about the improvement in their babies' sleep patterns and the positive effects of the education. Finally, when the qualitative and quantitative data were examined together, it was seen that the education implemented largely met the expectations of the parents. It has been determined that, the implemented education is designed and applied in accordance with the needs of the parents regarding the sleeping patterns of the babies, supports the parents in the baby's sleep patterns, and has positive effects on the babies' sleep patterns.