Keywords
Breast milk
Infant sleep
Categories
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: this article aimed to review the available information on the implications of breastfeeding (BF) for infant sleep.
Methodology: a literature search was conducted in medical databases via PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS, and Google Scholar. Fifteen studies were included: 8 primary and 7 secondary, ensuring that the latter did not contain duplicate articles. Three researchers selected the studies and extracted data regarding the implications of BF on infant sleep, the influence of breast milk on sleep architecture, and the infants’ sleeping arrangements. Restrictions were applied for a 6-year publication interval, age, and species. Studies in English, Spanish, and Portuguese were included. A narrative synthesis of the findings was performed.
Results: BF improves the quality and duration of infant sleep, and bedsharing prolongs exclusive breastfeeding.
Conclusion: breastfeeding benefits the quality of infant sleep, supporting the development of the circadian cycle. Furthermore, the duration of exclusive breastfeeding is associated with a lower incidence of sleep disorders.
References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ruth Prieto Gómez, Karin Rodríguez-Z., Araceli Saavedra-S., Carla Navarrete-C., Mariela Sáez-Y.