Early Childhood Co-Sleeping Predicts Behavior Problems in Preadolescence: A Prospective Cohort Study

Co-sleeping is common practice around the globe. The relationship between early childhood co-sleeping and adolescent behavior problems remains uncertain. We aim to identify whether early childhood co-sleeping can predict behavior problems in preadolescence.

A cohort of 1,656 Chinese preschool children were followed up in adolescence.

Prospective cohort study design involving two waves of data collection from the China Jintan Cohort (1,656 children aged 3-5 years). Co-sleeping history was collected at 3-5-years-old via parent-reported questionnaire at wave I data collection. Behavior problems were measured twice in childhood and preadolescence, respectively. Adolescent behavior problems were measured by integrating data from self-report, parent-report and teacher-report using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment. Predictions were assessed using the general linear model with mixed effects on the inverse probability weight propensity-matched sample.

1,656 children comprising 55.6% boys aged 4.9 ± 0.6 were initially enrolled in the first wave of data collection. In the second wave of data collection, 1,274 children were 10.99 ± 0.74 (76.9%) aged 10-13 years were retained. Early childhood co-sleeping is significantly associated with increased behavior problems in childhood (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.22-2.06, ps<0.03) and preadolescence (OR 1.40-2.27, ps<0.02). Moreover, co-sleeping history significantly predicted multiscale increase in internal (OR 1.63-2.61, ps<0.02) and external behavior problems in adolescence.

Early childhood co-sleeping is associated with multiple behavioral problems reported by parents, teachers, and children themselves. Early childhood co-sleeping predicts preadolescent internalizing and externalizing behavior after controlling for baseline behavior problems.