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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Exploring Bidirectional Relationships: Child Sleep Duration, Child Behavior Problems, and Parenting Stress in
Brooke K Iwamoto1, Cameron L Neece1, Aarti Nair1
1Department of Psychology, Loma Linda University; 11130 Anderson Street, Loma Linda, CA 92354, United States.
Insights
This study examined the day-to-day links between sleep, behavior, and stress in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Findings reveal complex relationships, suggesting targeted interventions for families with ASD children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience sleep and behavior challenges.
- Parents of children with ASD are at higher risk for stress.
- The interplay between child sleep, behavior, and parental stress in ASD is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the directionality of associations between child sleep, behavior problems, and parenting stress in young children with ASD.
- To explore within-person, day-to-day relationships in families of children with ASD.
Main Methods:
- A 14-day daily diary study involving 26 children (ages 3-5) with ASD and their mothers.
- Daily assessments of child sleep duration (parent-report and actigraphy), behavior problems, and parenting stress.
- Random intercept cross-lagged panel models to analyze within- and between-person effects.
Main Results:
- Between-person analyses showed expected associations: shorter sleep, more behavior problems, and higher parenting stress were linked.
- Within-person results indicated complex dynamics: better child behavior predicted less next-day stress, but higher stress predicted better child behavior.
- Longer child sleep was associated with less next-day parenting stress, while more child behavior problems were linked to less sleep.
Conclusions:
- Understanding these bidirectional relationships is key to improving quality of life for families with ASD.
- Interventions should consider targeting child behavior and parental stress management.
- Effective parenting strategies for sleep and behavior are crucial for families of children with ASD.
Background:
Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at-risk for sleep and behavior problems, and their parents are at-risk for high stress. Child sleep duration, behavior problems, and parenting stress are interrelated; however, directionality of these associations is unclear and research including youth with ASD is lacking. Using a day-to-day, within-person design, this study explores the directionality of these relationships in families of children with ASD.
Method:
Twenty-six children (ages 3-5, 73.1% male, 65.4% Hispanic/Latino) with ASD and their mothers participated in a 14-day study. Child sleep duration (parent-report and actigraphy), behavior problems, and parenting stress were measured daily. Constructs were decomposed into their within- and between-person components and analyzed with random intercept cross-lagged panel models.
Results:
While between-person relationships were directionally expected in that shorter sleep, more behavior problems, and greater parenting stress were associated, within-person relationships were complicated. Better-than-average child behavior was associated with less next-day parenting stress, yet more parenting stress than average was associated with better next-day child behavior. As expected, longer-than-average child sleep was associated with less next-day parenting stress, while greater child behavior problems were associated with less sleep that night.
Conclusions:
Understanding the directionality of associations between child and parent factors allows for the optimization of interventions to improve the quality of life for families of children with ASD. Interventions that target child behavior and/or help parents manage stress while maintaining effective parenting strategies for sleep and behavior may be useful.
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