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Sleep duration and regularity are associated with behavioral problems in 8-year-old children
Anu-Katriina Pesonen1, Katri Räikkönen, E Juulia Paavonen
1Department of Psychology and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9, Helsinki 00014, Finland. anukatriina.pesonen@helsinki.fi
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
|October 22, 2009
Summary
Sufficient sleep duration and regular sleep schedules are crucial for children's psychological well-being. Short sleep is linked to attention and externalizing issues, while irregular sleep is associated with internalizing problems.
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Sleep science
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Limited understanding of how normal variations in children's sleep duration and regularity impact psychological well-being.
- Objective assessment of sleep is crucial for understanding its significance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sleep duration, sleep regularity, and behavioral/emotional problems in 8-year-old children.
- To examine associations using parent-reported data.
Main Methods:
- Correlational study of children born in 1998, with sleep objectively measured via actigraphy for seven nights.
- Maternal and paternal ratings of child behavior using the Child Behavior Checklist were collected.
- Data collected in 2006 from an epidemiological sample.
Main Results:
- Short sleep duration correlated with increased risk of behavioral problems, thought problems, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms (maternal reports).
- Paternal reports linked short sleep to rule-breaking and externalizing behaviors.
- Irregular sleep duration (weekday vs. weekend) was associated with internalizing symptoms (paternal reports).
Conclusions:
- Emphasizes the importance of adequate sleep duration and consistent sleep patterns.
- Short sleep is specifically linked to attentional control and externalizing behaviors.
- Sleep irregularity is particularly associated with internalizing problems in children.
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