Sleep Timing During Adolescence: A Latent Transition Analysis Approach

Area of Science:

• Adolescent sleep research
• Developmental psychology
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Understanding adolescent sleep timing is crucial for health and development.
• Individual differences in sleep patterns emerge during adolescence.
• Longitudinal data is needed to track sleep timing changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct adolescent sleep timing profiles using a person-centered approach.
• To examine the stability and transitions between these sleep profiles over time.
• To investigate factors associated with changes in sleep timing patterns.

Main Methods:

• Latent profile analysis was used to identify sleep timing profiles at two time points.
• Latent transition analysis examined the stability and change in profiles.
• Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) was utilized.
• Structured interviews collected information on sleep timing and covariates.

Main Results:

• Six distinct sleep timing profiles were identified in adolescents aged 12-13 years and 14-15 years.
• Profiles included Early Larks, Larks, Intermediate, Owls, Variable Owls, and Late Owls.
• Early Larks, Larks, and Intermediate profiles demonstrated greater stability.
• Higher body mass index (BMI) and increased screen time predicted shifts towards later and more variable sleep patterns.

Conclusions:

• While many adolescents maintain healthy sleep timing, a significant portion exhibits less optimal patterns.
• The Owls, Variable Owls, and Late Owls profiles indicate potentially unhealthy and variable sleep.
• Targeted interventions may be necessary for adolescents with less healthy sleep timing profiles.