Shorter night-time sleep duration and later sleep timing from infancy to adolescence

Ifigeneia Manitsa1,2, Alice M Gregory3, Matthew R Broome1,2,4,5

  • 1Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.

Insights

This study identified persistent poor sleep health trajectories from infancy to adolescence. Higher family adversity and socioeconomic status were linked to shorter sleep duration, later bedtimes, and later midpoint of sleep (MPS).

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Sleep science
  • Public health

Background:

  • Sleep patterns change significantly from infancy through adolescence.
  • Persistent poor sleep health can have long-term consequences.
  • Understanding developmental sleep trajectories and associated risk factors is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine sleep duration, bedtime, and midpoint of sleep (MPS) trajectories from infancy to adolescence.
  • To identify perinatal risk factors associated with persistent poor sleep health.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 12,962 participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
  • Employed latent class growth analyses to identify sleep trajectories.
  • Applied logistic regressions to assess associations between risk factors and poor sleep health.

Main Results:

  • Identified four distinct trajectories for sleep duration, bedtime, and MPS.
  • Higher family adversity index (FAI) was associated with increased risk of shorter sleep, later bedtime, and later MPS.
  • Higher maternal socioeconomic status was associated with a reduced risk of shorter sleep, later bedtime, and later MPS.

Conclusions:

  • Persistent poor sleep health, including shorter sleep duration, later bedtime, and later MPS, is detectable from infancy to adolescence.
  • Specific perinatal factors, such as family adversity and socioeconomic status, are linked to these persistent sleep health domains.
Abstract

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