Caffeine and preterm infant sleep: mixed evidence of disruption
A review of neonatal intensive care studies reported possible changes in sleep, wakefulness and sensorimotor functioning, while some studies found no sleep effect.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Caffeine exposure was linked to altered sleep and wakefulness in some studies of preterm infants during their first month, but the overall evidence was mixed. The review also reported changes in sensorimotor functioning. These findings concern a specific hospital population and do not establish the overall balance of benefits and harms of caffeine treatment.
The abstract does not describe doses, comparator conditions or the size of sleep changes. Percentages of studies finding statistical significance do not show how many infants experienced a change or how large it was.
Several distinct outcomes
The review asked whether caffeine might disrupt sleep during early neonatal care. It considered wakefulness, sleep states and sensorimotor functioning; these are distinct outcomes, so evidence about one should not be treated as evidence about all.
Uncertainty remains
Some studies detected statistically significant changes, while others reported no sleep effect. This mixed pattern leaves uncertainty about the size and consistency of any effect and whether it differs across subgroups of preterm infants.
The original publication
Caffeine in Preterm Infants and its Effect on Neonatal Sleep: A Systematic Review.
Denisova K, Diamandis N, Tang JE et al.
J Clin Pharmacol · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41020743
- Record checked
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