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Reciprocal relations between children's sleep and their adjustment over time

Ryan J Kelly1, Mona El-Sheikh1

  • 1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University.

Developmental Psychology
|November 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Poor sleep in children predicts increased internalizing and externalizing symptoms over time. This study highlights the bidirectional relationship between child sleep patterns and behavioral adjustment difficulties.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Sleep Science
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Growing research interest in child sleep and adjustment.
  • Need to understand the complex association between sleep and behavioral symptoms in children.
  • Community samples are increasingly used in child sleep research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the reciprocal relationship between children's sleep and their internalizing and externalizing symptoms.
  • To examine how sleep duration and quality influence behavioral adjustment over time.
  • To assess if adjustment difficulties predict changes in sleep patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study using 3 waves of data over 5 years.
  • Involved 176 children initially, with data collected via self-reports and actigraphy for sleep, and parent/child reports for adjustment.
  • Employed cross-lagged panel models to analyze reciprocal effects.

Main Results:

  • Reduced sleep duration and poorer sleep quality were significant predictors of increased depression, anxiety, and externalizing symptoms.
  • Child adjustment difficulties also predicted subsequent changes in sleep, though to a lesser extent.
  • Findings support a reciprocal relationship between sleep and adjustment in typically developing youth.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood sleep problems are linked to the development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms.
  • The relationship between sleep and adjustment is bidirectional, influencing each other over time.
  • Interventions addressing sleep may positively impact behavioral adjustment in children.

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