Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
08:08

Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory

Published on: June 18, 2014

Children's objective and subjective sleep disruptions: links with afternoon cortisol levels

Mona El-Sheikh1, Joseph A Buckhalt, Peggy S Keller

  • 1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Alabama 36849, USA. elshemm@auburn.edu

Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
|January 31, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Children with more sleep problems and poorer sleep quality have higher cortisol levels. This study highlights the connection between sleep health and stress hormones in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Sleep Science
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Sleep disruptions are common in healthy children.
  • Understanding the physiological impact of poor sleep is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between sleep quality and quantity and cortisol levels in children.
  • To explore how subjective and objective sleep measures correlate with stress hormones.

Main Methods:

  • Actigraphy was used to objectively measure sleep for 7 nights.
  • Saliva samples assessed cortisol levels in a laboratory setting.
  • Children self-reported sleepiness and sleep/wake issues.

Main Results:

  • Higher cortisol levels were associated with increased subjective sleep problems.
  • Objective measures showed poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration correlated with higher cortisol.
  • These relationships remained significant after controlling for demographic factors.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood sleep quality and quantity are linked to physiological stress responses.
  • Findings underscore the importance of addressing sleep issues for children's overall health and well-being.
  • This research is significant given the high prevalence of sleep disturbances in developing children.
Abstract

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