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Sleep Problems and Posttraumatic Stress: Children Exposed to a Natural Disaster

Betty S Lai1, Annette M La Greca2, Courtney A Colgan1

  • 1Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College.

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|September 5, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric sleep research
  • Trauma and developmental psychology
  • Disaster mental health

Background:

  • Sleep is vital for child development.
  • Natural disasters can disrupt children's sleep patterns.
  • Understanding sleep problems post-disaster is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Examine children's sleep problems after Hurricane Ike.
  • Identify risk factors for persistent sleep issues.
  • Investigate the link between sleep problems and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).

Main Methods:

  • Assessed 269 children exposed to Hurricane Ike.
  • Collected data 8 and 15 months post-disaster.
  • Measured hurricane exposure, stressors, sleep problems, and PTSS.

Main Results:

  • Children's sleep problems persisted over time.
  • Younger age, prior sleep issues, and PTSS predicted later sleep problems.
  • Posttraumatic stress symptoms predicted sleep problems, but not vice versa.

Conclusions:

  • Posttraumatic stress symptoms may influence the development and persistence of sleep problems in children after disasters.
  • Early intervention for PTSS could mitigate sleep disturbances.
Abstract

Keywords:
disasterlife stressposttraumatic stresssleep

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