Prior sleep problems predict internalising problems later in life

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychiatry
• Longitudinal Studies

Background:

• Poor sleep affects up to 40% of children, potentially serving as an early risk marker for internalizing symptoms.
• This study examines the predictive relationship between childhood sleep problems and adult internalizing symptoms over an 18-year period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether sleep problems in childhood predict the development and persistence of internalizing symptoms into adulthood.
• To analyze trajectories of internalizing symptoms over 18 years in relation to early sleep issues.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study of 1503 French young adults (TEMPO cohort) with data collected in 1991, 1999, and 2009.
• Sleep problems and internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety, somatic complaints) were assessed using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA).
• Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the association between 1991 sleep problems and internalizing symptom trajectories, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• Four trajectories of internalizing symptoms were identified: high-persistent (2.5%), high-decreasing (11.4%), low-increasing (11.6%), and low-persistent (74.5%).
• Children with sleep problems in 1991 were significantly more likely to experience high-persistent (4.51 times) and high-decreasing (3.69 times) internalizing symptoms over the 18-year follow-up, after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions:

• Early-life sleep problems are associated with a substantially increased likelihood of internalizing symptoms persisting from childhood through adulthood.
• Findings underscore the importance of addressing childhood sleep issues as a potential preventative measure for long-term mental health problems.