top of page

This site was designed with the

website builder. Create your website today.Start Now

The Parenting, Child Development and Sleep Lab

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

PUBLICATIONS
*References are links to the articles

Horwitz A, Bar-Shachar Y, Ran-Peled D, Meiri G, Tikotzky L. (2026). Sleep and symptoms of depression and anxiety in mothers and fathers of infants: A longitudinal perspective. Sleep Health. 8:S2352-7218(25)00264-5. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2025.11.009. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41506965.

Yankovitch D, Ron S, Wairauch Y, Wassermann O, Tikotzky L, Kahn M. (2025). Parent-delivered huggy-puppy intervention for war-related stress in children. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry.

Ran-Peled D., Horwitz, A., Finkelstein, O., Atzaba-Poria, N., & Tikotzky, L. (2025). A longitudinal study of postpartum maternal sleep and sensitivity: Examining depressive symptoms and social support as moderators. Journal of Sleep Research, e70056.

Matzliach O, Horwitz A, Ran-Peled D, Tikotzky L (2025). A longitudinal study of the bi-directional relations between parental bedtime and nighttime involvement and infant sleep. Sleep Medicine. 10;129:55-66.

Lecuelle, F., Challamel, M.J., Kahn, M., Tikotzky, L., Mindell, J., Bruni, O., Franco, P., & Putios, B (2025). Behavioral insomnia in young children: Integrating behavioral and cognitive approaches for a comprehensive treatment strategy. Sleep Medicine, 127, 89-90.

Bakun Emesh, T., Meiran, N., Ran-Peled, D., Ben-Zion, H., Horwitz, A., Finkelstein, O., & Tikotzky, L. (2024). Attention control in the perinatal period: A longitudinal study. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 28, 613-622.

Quin, N., Tikotzky, L., Astbury, L., Spina, M., Fisher, J., Stafford, L., Wiley, J. & Bei, B. (2024). Preventing postpartum insomnia: findings from a three-arm randomized-controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, a responsive bassinet, and sleep hygiene. Sleep, 13:zsae106

Molcho-Haimovich, A, Tikotzky, L, Meiri, G, Ilan, M, Michaelovski, A., Schtaierman, H., Golan. H.M., Sadaka, Y, Menashe, I, & Dinstein, I. (2023). Sleep disturbances are associated with sensory hyper-sensitivities and irritability in children with ASD. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 21;15(1):21.

Tikotzky, L., Ran-Peled, D., & Ben-Zion, H. (2023). Performance of the Nanit camera automated scoring system against observed video scoring and actigraphy to estimate sleep-wake states in infants. Sleep Health, 9(5), 611-615.

Horwitz, A., Bar-Shachar, Y., Ran-Peled, D., Finkelstein, O., Ben-Zion, H., Bar-Kalifa, E., Meiri, G. & Tikotzky, L. (2023). Sleep of mothers, fathers, and infants: a longitudinal study from pregnancy through 12 months. Sleep, 46(9), 1-16.

Eylon, G., Tikotzky, L., & Dinstein, I. (2023). Performance evaluation of Fitbit Charge 3 and actigraphy versus polysomnography: sensitivity, specificity and reliability across participants and nights. Sleep Health, 9(4), 407-416.

Ben-Zion, H., Rabinovitch, H., Ran-Peled, D., Finkelstein, O., Horwitz, A., & Tikotzky, L. (2023). A longitudinal study of mother-infant objective and reported sleep in solo-mother and two-parent families. Developmental Psychology, 59(9), 1608-1625.

Ghadir, Z., Asraf, K., Haimov, I., & Tikotzky, L. (2022). Maternal insomnia and depressive symptoms and early childhood sleep among Arab and Jewish families in Israel. Sleep Medicine.

Ran-Peled D., Bar-Shachar, Y., Horwitz, A., Finkelstein, O., Bar-Kalifa, E., Meiri, G., & Tikotzky, L. (2022). Objective and subjective sleep and caregiving feelings in mothers of infants: a longitudinal daily diary study. Sleep, 45(7), 1-12.

Quin, N., Tikotzky, L., Stafford, L., Fisher, J., & Bei, B. (2022). Preventing postpartum insomnia by targeting maternal versus infant sleep: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial (the Study for Mother-Infant Sleep “SMILE”). Sleep Advances, 3 (1) zpab020.

Tikotzky, L., Bar-Shachar, Y., Volkovich, E., Meiri, G., & Bar-Kalifa, A. (2022). A longitudinal study of the links between maternal and infant nocturnal wakefulness. Sleep Health, 8 (1), 31-38.

Tikotzky , L., Volkovich, E., & Meiri, G. (2021). Maternal emotional distress and infant sleep: A longitudinal study from pregnancy through 18 months. Developmental Psychology, 57 (7), 1111.

Zreik, G., Asraf, K., Tikotzky, L., & Haimov, I (2021). Maternal sleep related cognitions and child sleep quality: a cross-cultural comparison between the Arab and Jewish societies in Israel. Sleep Medicine, 81, 218-226.

Gueron-Sela., N, Schahar, G., Volkovich., E., & Tikotzky, L. (2021). Prenatal maternal sleep and trajectories of postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms. Journal of Sleep Research, e13258.

Vertsberger, D., Baruchi, O., Tikotzky, L., & Knafo-Noam, A (2021). Parents’ Perceptions of Infants’ Nighttime Sleep Patterns Predicts Mothers’ Negativity: A Longitudinal Study. The Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics

Kahn, M., Schnabel, O., Gradisar, M., Rozen, G.S., Slone, M., Atzaba‑Poria, N., Tikotzky, L., & Sadeh, A. (2020) Sleep, screen time and behaviour problems in preschool children: an actigraphy study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01654-w

Gradisar, M., Gregory, A.M., & Tikotzky, L. (2020). Editorial: Is sleep the red flag to psychopathology’s bull? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61 (10), 1055-1057.

Zreik, G., Asraf, K., Haimov, I., & Tikotzky, L. (2020). Maternal perceptions of sleep problems among children and mothers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Israel. Journal of Sleep Research, e13201.

Zreik, G., Asraf, K., Tikotzky, L., & Haimov, I. (2020). Sleep Ecology and sleep patterns among infants and toddlers: A cross-cultural comparison between the Arab and Jewish societies in Israel. Sleep Medicine, 75, 117-127.
Kahn, M., Livne-Karp, E., Juda-Hanael, M., Omer, H., Tikotzky, L., Anders, T.F., Sadeh A (2020). Behavioral interventions for infant sleep problems: The role of parental cry tolerance and sleep-related cognitions. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 16, 1275-1283.

Ben-Zion, H., Volkovich, E., Meiri, G., & Tikotzky, L. (2020). Mother-infant sleep and maternal emotional distress in solo mother families and in two-parent families. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 45(2), 181–193.

Kahn, M., Juda-Hanael, M., Livne-Karp, E., Tikotzky, L., Anders, T.F., & Sadeh, A. (2020). Behavioral interventions for pediatric insomnia: One treatment may not fit all, Sleep,43 (4).

Bar, M., Schrieber, G., Gueron-Sela, N., Shahar, G., & Tikotzky, L. (2020). Role of self criticism, anxiety and depressive symptoms in young adults’ insomnia. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 13, 15-29.

King, L.S., Rangel, E., Simpson, N., Tikotzky., L, & Manber., R. (2020). Mothers’ postpartum sleep disturbance is associated with the ability to sustain sensitivity toward infants. Sleep Medicine, 65, 74-83

Mindell, J.A., Gould, R., Tikotzky, L., Leichman, E.S., & Walters, R.M. (2019) Norm-Referenced Scoring System for the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire – Revised (BISQ-R). Sleep Medicine, 63, 106-114.

Tikotzky, L., & Volkovich, E. (2018). Infant nocturnal wakefulness: a longitudinal study comparing three sleep assessment methods. Sleep, 42 (1), 1-12.

Kahn, M., Bauminger, Y., Volkovich, E., Meiri, G., Sadeh, A., & Tikotzky, L. (2018). Links between infant sleep and parental tolerance for infant crying: Longitudinal assessment from pregnancy through 6-months postpartum. Sleep Medicine, 50, 72-78.

Volkovich, E., Bar-Kalifa, E., Meiri, G., & Tikotzky, L. (2018). Mother-infant sleep patterns and parental functioning of room-sharing and solitary sleeping families: a longitudinal study from 3 to 18 months. Sleep, 41, 1-14.

Tikotzky L. (2017). Parenting and sleep in early childhood. Current Opinion in Psychology, 15, 118-124.

Tikotzky, L. (2016). Postpartum maternal sleep, maternal depressive symptoms and self-perceived mother–infant emotional relationship. Behavioral sleep medicine, 14(1), 5-22.

Volkovich, E., Tikotzky, L., & Manber, R. (2016). Objective and subjective sleep during pregnancy: links with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Archives of women's mental health, 19(1), 173-181.

Sadeh A, Juda-Hanael M, Livne-Karp E, Kahn M, Tikotzky L, Anders TF, Calkins S, Sivan Y. (2016). Low parental tolerance for infant crying: an underlying factor in infant sleep problems? Journal of Sleep Research, 25, 501-507.

Tikotzky, L., Sadeh, A., Volkovich, E., Manber, R., Meiri, G., & Shahar, G. (2015). VII. Infant sleep development from 3 to 6 months postpartum: links with maternal sleep and paternal involvement. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 80(1), 107-124.

Volkovich, E., Ben-Zion, H., Karny, D., Meiri, G., & Tikotzky, L. (2015). Sleep patterns of co-sleeping and solitary sleeping infants and mothers: a longitudinal study. Sleep medicine, 16(11), 1305-1312.

Sadeh, A., De Marcas, G., Guri, Y., Berger, A., Tikotzky, L., & Bar-Haim, Y. (2015). Infant sleep predicts attention regulation and behavior problems at 3–4 years of age. Developmental neuropsychology, 40(3), 122-137

Sadeh, A., Tikotzky, L., & Kahn, M. (2014). Sleep in infancy and childhood: implications for emotional and behavioral difficulties in adolescence and beyond. Current opinion in psychiatry, 27(6), 453-459.

Frank, E., Sidor, M.M., Gamble, K.L., Cirelli, C., Sharkey, K.M., Hoyle, N., Tikotzky, L., Talbot, L.S., McCarthy, M.J. & Hasler, B.P. (2013). Circadian clocks, brain function, and development. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1306(1), 43-67.

Sinai, D., & Tikotzky, L. (2012). Infant sleep, parental sleep and parenting stress in families of mothers on maternity leave and in families of working mothers. Infant behavior and development, 35(2), 179-186.

Tikotzky, L., & Shaashua, L. (2012). Infant sleep and early parental sleep-related cognitions predict sleep in pre-school children. Sleep medicine, 13(2), 185-192.

Tikotzky, L., Chambers, A. S., Kent, J., Gaylor, E., & Manber, R. (2012). Postpartum maternal sleep and mothers’ perceptions of their attachment relationship with the infant among women with a history of depression during pregnancy. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 36(6), 440-448.

Tikotzky, L., Sadeh, A., & Glickman-Gavrieli, T. (2011). Infant sleep and paternal involvement in infant caregiving during the first 6 months of life. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36(1), 36-46.

Sadeh, A., Tikotzky, L., & Scher, A. (2010). Parenting and infant sleep. Sleep medicine reviews, 14(2), 89-96.

Tikotzky, L., Sharabany, R., Hirsch, I., & Sadeh, A. (2010). “Ghosts in the Nursery:” Infant sleep and sleep‐related cognitions of parents raised under communal sleeping arrangements. Infant Mental Health Journal, 31(3), 312-334.

Tikotzky, L., De Marcas, G., Har-Toov, J., Dollberg, S., Bar-Haim, Y. & Sadeh, A. (2010). Sleep and physical growth in infants during the first 6 months. Journal of sleep research, 19(1), 103-110.

Tikotzky, L., & Sadeh, A. (2010). The role of cognitive–behavioral therapy in behavioral childhood insomnia. Sleep medicine, 11(7), 686-691.

Tikotzky, L., & Sadeh, A. (2009). Maternal sleep‐related cognitions and infant sleep: A longitudinal study from pregnancy through the 1st Year. Child development, 80(3), 860-874.

Sadeh, A., Hen-Gal, S., & Tikotzky, L. (2008). Young children's reactions to war-related stress: A survey and assessment of an innovative intervention. Pediatrics, 121(1), 46-53.

Sadeh, A., Flint-Ofir, E., Tirosh, T., & Tikotzky, L. (2007). Infant sleep and parental sleep-related cognitions. Journal of family psychology, 21(1), 74.

Leitner, Y., Mimouni Bloch, A., Sadeh, A., Neuderfer, O., Tikotzky, L., & Harel, S. (2002). Sleep-wake patterns in children with intrauterine growth retardation. Journal of child neurology, 17(12), 872-876.

Tikotzky, L., & Sadeh, A. (2001). Sleep patterns and sleep disruptions in kindergarten children. Journal of clinical child psychology, 30(4), 581-591.

Publications in Hebrew

Tikotzky, L. & Sadeh, A. (2009). The role of parents in the development of infant sleep patterns: A review. Harefuah, 148 (5), 173-178. (Hebrew).

Tikotzky, L. & Sadeh, A. (2005). Treatment of infant sleep disorders: A review and a presentation of a transactional model. Sihot, 20 (1), 63-72. (Hebrew).

bottom of page