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Association between sleep habits/disorders and emotional/behavioral problems among Japanese children

Masahiro Takeshima1, Hidenobu Ohta2, Tomoko Hosoya2

  • 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita City, Akita, 010-8543, Japan. m.takeshima@med.akita-u.ac.jp.

Scientific Reports
|June 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Sleep problems are common in school-aged children and linked to emotional and behavioral issues. Addressing sleep habits is crucial for understanding and managing these challenges in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • The relationship between sleep habits/disorders and emotional/behavioral problems in developing children requires further clarification.
  • Sleep plays a critical role in overall child development and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sleep status and its association with emotional/behavioral problems in school-aged children.
  • To identify specific sleep parameters linked to emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Main Methods:

  • A large-scale questionnaire survey involving 87,548 children across nine grade levels (elementary to junior high).
  • Utilized the Brief Child Sleep Questionnaire (BCSQ) for sleep habits/disorders and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for emotional/behavioral problems.
  • Employed multiple regression analysis to determine associations between sleep variables and problem behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Sleep duration decreased by 2.0 hours and bedtimes were delayed with increasing school grade.
  • 18.3% of children exhibited some form of sleep disorder, with 30-40% experiencing sleep symptoms.
  • Emotional and behavioral problems were associated with any sleep symptom, longer sleep latency, and increased awake time after sleep onset; total sleep time was not significant.
  • Sleep symptoms at wake time showed the strongest association with emotional/behavioral problems.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep habits and disorders are significantly associated with emotional and behavioral problems in school-aged children.
  • Sleep symptoms, particularly those occurring at wake time, are key indicators to consider when assessing child behavior.
  • Interventions addressing sleep status may be beneficial for managing emotional and behavioral difficulties in children.

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