Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression
Published on: April 26, 2024
Longitudinal relations between sleep and cognitive functioning in children: Self-esteem as a moderator
Ekjyot K Saini1, Brian T Gillis1, Lori Elmore-Staton2
1Human Development and Family Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
Abstract:
Short and poor-quality sleep disrupt cognitive functioning, yet associations vary across studies, underscoring the importance of examining individual differences and moderators of risk. Utilizing a multi-method, two-wave longitudinal design, we examined self-esteem as a moderator of relations between actigraphy-derived sleep duration (minutes) and quality (efficiency, long-wake episodes) and children's cognitive functioning 1 year later. During the first study wave (T1), participants were 243 children (47% female) with a mean age of 10.4 years (SD = 8.0 months). The sample was representative of its community, with 37% identifying as Black/African American and 63% White/European American. Children completed a self-esteem measure and wore actigraphs for seven consecutive nights. Participants returned to the lab 1 year later and completed a standardized assessment of cognitive functioning. Results indicated that self-esteem moderated longitudinal associations between sleep quality and cognitive functioning. Specifically, children with both better sleep quality and higher self-esteem performed better relative to other children in the sample.
More Related Videos
08:20Measuring Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation During Naps in Early Childhood
Published on: October 2, 2019
08:08Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
Published on: June 18, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
Benefits of Self-Esteem
Information Processing Approach
Self-Esteem
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison