Correlates of nap taking in mothers of young infants.

Many researchers and clinicians have promoted nap taking to combat the deleterious effects of disrupted sleep. Unfortunately, only a small portion of sleep-deprived individuals take naps. The goal of the present study was to identify cognitive and opportunity factors related to nap taking of mothers of young infants. Fifty-one mothers of young infants completed measures that recorded various characteristics of their nighttime sleep patterns, their perceptions of their sleep, and factors influencing their opportunities to take naps. Results revealed that mothers' perceptions of sleep disturbance and opportunity factors were more predictive of napping than total nighttime sleep or actual time spent caring for the infant during the night.