Postpartum sleep and relationship satisfaction among Black mothers.

Abstract

Sleep difficulties for parents and infants in the first months postpartum are common and are likely to impact multiple areas of life, including parents' romantic relationship satisfaction. Empirical literature linking different indicators of sleep in the first months postpartum to concurrent and prospective relationship satisfaction is limited, however, particularly among families who experience disproportionately elevated rates of sleep difficulties postpartum. To address this gap, we examined multiple indicators of subjective and objective maternal sleep and maternal reports of infant sleep as predictors of relationship satisfaction among a sample of first-time Black mothers in relationships (N = 107). At 8 weeks postpartum, mothers reported on their own sleep difficulties and on their infant's nighttime awakenings and time in bed, and they wore an accelerometer to provide estimates of total sleep time and sleep efficiency. Mothers reported their relationship satisfaction at 8 and 16 weeks postpartum. Results indicated that mothers who reported that their own sleep difficulties were more impactful to their functioning at Week 8 reported lower relationship satisfaction at Week 16. Additionally, mothers who had longer nighttime sleep reported higher relationship satisfaction at both Week 8 and 16 postpartum. Infant sleep was not significantly associated with relationship satisfaction. These findings offer new insights into associations between sleep and relationship satisfaction during a critical period of adjustment for families and can inform interventions to enhance individual and relational well-being for new parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).