Parents’ Coping Processes for Infant Nighttime Crying in Japan: A Grounded Theory Approach Based on Maternal Perspectives

Objective: Nighttime crying during infancy poses significant challenges for parents, leading to anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration in mothers, while fathers may resort to shaking their children in despair, increasing the risk of abuse. While individual coping strategies have been documented, the specific processes that parents use to navigate and overcome nighttime crying remain unclear. This study aimed to explore how parents cope with and adapt to this issue.

Methods: Data were collected through semi structured interviews with 15 mothers of infants aged ≥5 months who demonstrated nighttime crying, residing in Tokyo and Chiba in Japan. Participants described their responses to nighttime crying and changes in their marital relationships or roles before and after its onset. A grounded theory approach was adopted, utilizing coding and comparative methods.

Results: Parents’ coping processes for nighttime crying emerged in the following themes: (1) preparation and practice of coping strategies, (2) division of roles between partners, (3) utilization of external support and social resources, (4) psychological and physical burdens on mothers, (5) mothers’ conflict toward fathers, (6) mutual understanding between spouses and support from fathers, and (7) overcoming nighttime crying, leading to family growth and change. Recognition of differences between spouses emerged as a key factor in the coping process, influencing how couples managed these challenges.

Conclusions: Marital differences shaped the division of roles and increased the psychological and physical strain on mothers at the onset of nighttime crying. However, navigating maternal emotional struggles and engaging in communication fostered deeper mutual understanding within couples and enhanced paternal support. Ultimately, couples overcame nighttime crying challenges, contributing to both personal and familial growth.

Keywords: Nighttime crying; Parents’ coping; Maternal and child health; Grounded theory approach