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Published on: September 19, 2019
Associations between parental relationship dissolution and child sleep: A systematic review
Émilie E M Lannes1, Samantha Kenny1, Malka Hershon1
1Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Quebec, Canada; Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies (CIUSSS-NIM), Quebec, Canada.
Insights
Parental relationship dissolution, a common adverse childhood experience, is linked to poorer child sleep. Further research is needed to understand this association better and guide interventions.
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Developmental pediatrics
- Sleep science
Background:
- Parental relationship dissolution is a significant adverse childhood experience.
- Childhood sleep is vital for development and sensitive to environmental stressors.
- The impact of parental relationship dissolution on child sleep remains under-researched.
Conclusions:
- Parental relationship dissolution is associated with negative impacts on child sleep.
- Healthcare professionals should consider assessing child sleep when addressing parental relationship dissolution.
- Further high-quality research is necessary to elucidate this relationship and inform clinical practice.
Abstract:
Parental relationship dissolution is considered one of the most common adverse childhood experiences. Although sleep is crucial for healthy development of children and very sensitive to environmental changes, it is poorly studied in the context of parental relationship dissolution. The aim of the current study was to systematically review and critically assess the existing literature on the associations between parental relationship dissolution and child sleep (0-18 years old; registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021272720)). PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Social Work abstracts, and Web of Science Core Collection were searched. Published empirical quantitative studies were included if they reported statistics regarding the association between parental relationship dissolution and any child sleep variable. Out of the 358 articles screened, 14 articles met inclusion criteria and reported on several sleep dimensions: sleep quality, dreams and nightmares, and sleep disorders (enuresis, night terrors, and bruxism). Out of the 14 articles, six were longitudinal studies and eight were cross-sectional studies. While most studies found that parental relationship dissolution was associated with some indices of poorer child sleep, studies were generally of low to moderate quality. Health professionals should assess child sleep in the context of a parental relationship dissolution.
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