Attachment and Baby Sleep: Insights from Research and Responsive Sleep Practices

Building a secure attachment and baby sleep foundation starts from day one, and welcoming a new baby brings a whirlwind of emotions, changes, and challenges for both parents and babies. Among the most important early tasks is building a strong, secure attachment with your baby. 

How we care for and respond to our little ones directly impacts the kind of attachment they form—whether that’s secure, insecure, or somewhere in between. So, what role does physical contact, like baby-wearing, play in creating this bond?

In this blog post, we’re going to dive into a key study that explores how increased physical contact influences attachment in babies, and we’ll also share how The Peaceful Sleeper method fosters healthy attachment.

Understanding The Study

The Importance of Physical Contact

Key Findings

Understanding Attachment Theory

The Peaceful Sleeper Approach to Sleep Training

Getting the Support You Need

Let’s dive in!

Understanding The Study

The Ainsfeld et al. (1990) study examined whether increased physical contact—like baby-wearing—promoted a more secure attachment between infants and their mothers. The researchers focused on 49 low-income mother-infant pairs, comparing the effects of baby-wearing versus keeping infants in seats (like car seats or strollers) during early development.

By assessing these pairs when the babies were 13 months old, the researchers aimed to determine whether babies who experienced more physical closeness with their caregivers developed stronger emotional bonds.

The Importance of Physical Contact

Before we jump into the study’s findings, let’s talk about why physical contact is so important. 

Holding your baby close is more than just comforting them—it provides a sense of security, helping them to regulate their emotions and build trust in their caregivers. Babies are hardwired to seek out closeness, and regular physical contact helps create a foundation of security that lasts a lifetime.

This is why baby-wearing has become such a popular parenting practice—it allows mamas to keep their babies close while staying hands-free to handle everyday tasks.

Key Findings

So, what did the study reveal? The researchers found that babies who were carried more often in baby carriers formed more secure attachments with their caregivers by 13 months compared to those who were often left in seats. Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Babies carried in slings or carriers experienced more direct, sustained physical contact.
• These babies showed higher levels of secure attachment, as measured by their behaviors and responses to their mothers.
• In contrast, babies who spent more time in seats (carriers, swings, etc.) displayed more insecure attachment patterns. 

The study highlighted that frequent physical contact can be a critical factor in promoting secure attachment early on. This attachment, in turn, influences a child’s emotional and social development throughout their life.

Understanding Attachment Theory

To fully appreciate the study’s implications, it’s important to have a basic understanding of attachment theory. According to Jude Cassidy and Philip Shaver’s Handbook of Attachment (2016), attachment is the emotional bond that forms between infants and their caregivers, and it serves as the foundation for the child’s future emotional and social development.

Attachment can be categorized into four main types:

1. Secure Attachment

The child feels confident in their caregiver’s ability to provide comfort and protection based on consistent past experiences.

2. Insecure Attachment

The child becomes extremely distressed in the caregiver’s absence and is difficult to console upon their return, often unsure of whether their caregiver will meet their emotional needs.

3. Avoidant Attachment

The child appears indifferent to the caregiver’s presence or absence, showing little emotional engagement.

4. Disorganized Attachment

The child exhibits fear or confusion, often a result of inconsistent caregiving or prenatal neglect.

The goal for every parent is to help their child form a secure attachment, which allows the child to feel safe and emotionally supported. The Aniesfeld et al. study emphasizes that increased contact, such as babywearing, plays a crucial role in fostering this secure attachment.

The Peaceful Sleeper Approach to Sleep Training

At The Peaceful Sleeper, we know that attachment and sleep go hand in hand. We believe that fostering a secure attachment doesn’t stop with baby-wearing or cuddling—it also extends to how we help our babies sleep.

The Peaceful Sleeper method is designed to work in your baby’s zone of proximal development. This means that while we gently encourage babies to learn important sleep skills (like falling asleep independently), we are always mindful of their emotional needs. We remain attuned and responsive to their cues, allowing them to build that attachment while developing new skills. This balance ensures that babies feel secure and supported, even as they learn to self-soothe.

By creating a sleep environment where your baby feels safe, loved, and understood, we promote a healthy attachment that extends beyond their waking hours.

Getting the Support You Need

Navigating baby sleep can be tricky, especially when you’re also focusing on building a strong bond with your little one. That’s why we’re here to help! Whether you’re looking for personalized support or comprehensive resources, The Peaceful Sleeper offers a range of options to meet your unique needs:

Content Libraries

We offer age-based libraries for babies 0-4 months, 4-24 months, and 2-5 years. We offer courses and guides that allow you to teach your baby independent sleep skills while still being responsive to their emotional needs.

Consultation Packages 

If you need more personalized help, our expert sleep consultants are available for one-on-one support. From quick phone calls to full-service sleep consultations, we’re here to guide you through the process. 

Recap on Attachment and Baby Sleep

The Anisfeld et al. (1990) study underscores the power of physical contact in promoting secure attachment. It shows us that how we interact with our babies eary on—whether through baby-wearing or consistent responsiveness—plays a key role in their emotional development.

At The Peaceful Sleeper, we build on this foundation by offering a sleep training approach that supports your baby’s emotional and developmental needs. With a gentle, responsive approach to sleep, we help your baby gain important sleep skills while keeping them connected and secure. Prioritizing their sleep is another way to foster the attachment they need to thrive!

*Anisfeld, E., Casper, V., Nozyce, M., & Cunningham, N. (1990). Does Infant Carrying Promote Attachment? An Experimental Study of the Effects of Increased Physical Contact on the Development of Attachment. Child Development, 61(5), 1617–1627. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130769