A developmental perspective on sleep consistency: Preschool age through emerging adulthood

Area of Science:

• Sleep science
• Developmental psychology
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Sleep regularity, or consistency, is a crucial indicator of sleep health, alongside sleep duration.
• Existing research on sleep consistency primarily focuses on adolescent populations.
• Variability in sleep timing and duration significantly impacts overall sleep health.

Approach:

• This narrative review adopts a developmental perspective to examine sleep consistency.
• It synthesizes research on normative individual and contextual changes influencing sleep patterns across development.
• The review highlights how developmental transitions may exacerbate sleep inconsistencies.

Key Points:

• Inconsistent sleep patterns can emerge or worsen during critical developmental periods.
• Transitions such as nap elimination, puberty, and entering higher education are associated with increased sleep inconsistency.
• Understanding these developmental shifts is key to addressing sleep health challenges.

Conclusions:

• Sleep consistency is a critical, yet often overlooked, aspect of sleep health across the lifespan.
• Future research should focus on developmental trajectories of sleep consistency and effective measurement strategies.
• Interventions targeting sleep consistency may be beneficial during developmental transitions.