New Study Finds Parents of Infants with Sleep Trouble Have Increased Risk of Daytime Dysfunction

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Flinders University in partnership with New York-based tech company Nanit, today announced findings from a new sleep research study linking infant sleep troubles and daytime dysfunction amongst parents. The joint findings were presented at World Sleep 2019, the biennial conference of the World Sleep Society in Vancouver.

For parents of infants with sleep problems, the study finds there is approximately three times the risk of experiencing daytime dysfunction as compared to the parents of infants without sleep problems. Further, as infants continue to have sleep problems, the likelihood of parents reporting daytime dysfunction increases by 14% per month.

Daytime dysfunction can impede activities including driving and occupational performance and, with sleep problems prevalent in 20-30% of infants, potentially impacts a significant portion of parents. 

Prof. Michael Gradisar, Clinical Psychologist at the Child & Adolescent Sleep Clinic at Flinders University and an author of the study, notes, "The Nanit camera system and AI allowed for objective measurement of both the infants' sleep quality and parents' behaviour. This is going to give researchers insights that we've not had on this scale before, and will ultimately lead us to provide parents with the best advice to improve their infant's sleep health."

The study employed Nanit's smart baby monitors to track infant sleep quality across 619 families and automatically analyze the data with its computer vision algorithm. The Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire was then used to measure the presence of infant sleep problems as reported by parents. To measure parents' daytime dysfunction, researchers utilized a sub-component of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Nanit CEO Sarah Dorsett explains, "These findings are just the beginning. With the advancement of Nanit's computer vision technology and its consumer adoption in the home, we're able to better bolster our understanding of sleep health, and the effect it has on our quality of life."

In another collaborative study, Flinders University and Nanit also provide objective evidence demonstrating the link between parental involvement and deficient infant sleep, finding that parental night-time visits were more frequent for younger infants, as well as for infants with poorer sleep quality.

"This collaboration with Nanit is exciting," adds Dr. Michal Kahn, a co-author on the study and a post-doctoral fellow at Flinders University. "We have so many questions that can now be answered by leveraging their technology and we're looking forward to doing many more innovative projects together."

ABOUT FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Flinders University is a globally focused, locally engaged institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and research. A highly research active university, Flinders is finding solutions to the world's challenges and contributing to social, cultural, and economic growth. Ninety percent of its research has been ranked at or above world class by Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA). Flinders University's research achievements are underpinned by a robust network of partnerships with organisations and industries and are an important part of Flinders' exceptional student experience.

ABOUT NANIT

Founded in New York City by a tight-knit team of scientists, parents, engineers and designers, Nanit's mission is to use technology, science and data to create innovative products that are safer and smarter, for parents and babies everywhere. Named by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative Companies of 2019, Nanit combines computer vision, machine learning and advanced camera sensors that measure a baby's sleep cycle and breathing motion, to provide actionable insights that lead to healthier, improved sleep for the baby and the entire family. Nanit's award-winning products are available at national retailers in the U.S. and Canada including buybuy BABY, Best Buy, Crate & Kids, Babies "R" Us Canada, Pottery Barn Kids, Amazon, and on Nanit.com.  For more information, please visit www.nanit.com or follow @getnanit on Facebook/Twitter and @get_nanit on Instagram.

Media contacts:

For Nanit inquiries, please contact: 
Jaime Cassavechia 
[email protected] 
646-701-7041

For Flinders University inquiries, please contact: 
Prof. Michael Gradisar  
[email protected] 
+61 8 8201 2324

SOURCE Nanit; Flinders University