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Presleep arousal and sleep disturbances in children

Alice M Gregory1, Thomas A Willis, Luci Wiggs

  • 1Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK. a.gregory@gold.ac.uk

Sleep
|December 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Presleep arousal, both cognitive and somatic, is linked to sleep disturbances in children. Cognitive arousal showed a stronger association, suggesting it may be a key factor in childhood sleep problems.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Science
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Sleep disturbances are common in children.
  • Presleep arousal, encompassing cognitive and somatic components, is known to affect adult sleep.
  • The relationship between presleep arousal and sleep disturbance in children is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between presleep arousal and sleep disturbances in children.
  • To determine if the adult-child pattern of arousal-sleep disturbance association holds true for pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Linear regression analyses were employed to examine the predictive power of somatic and cognitive presleep arousal on sleep disturbances.
  • Data were collected from 123 children aged 8-10 years using self-report measures (Sleep Self-Report, Pre-sleep Arousal Scale) and parent reports (Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire).

Main Results:

  • Both somatic and cognitive presleep arousal significantly predicted total sleep disturbance scores in children.
  • Cognitive arousal demonstrated a stronger predictive relationship with sleep disturbances compared to somatic arousal.
  • These findings were partially supported by parent-reported data, with cognitive arousal being a significant predictor.

Conclusions:

  • Presleep arousal, particularly cognitive arousal, is associated with sleep disturbances in children.
  • The findings suggest that cognitive factors play a crucial role in pediatric sleep disturbances.
  • Further research into cognitive aspects of childhood sleep problems is recommended, potentially informing future therapeutic interventions.
Abstract

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