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[Sleeping behavior between the ages of 2 and 18. Longitudinal study]
Helvetica Paediatrica Acta
|January 1, 1981
Summary
Childhood sleep problems like bedtime resistance and night waking are common, with patterns changing significantly from toddlerhood through adolescence. These sleep behaviors, including bad dreaming and sleepwalking, do not differ between sexes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric sleep medicine
- Developmental psychology
Context:
- Longitudinal study data from the First Zurich Longitudinal Study (1954-1980) involving 320 Swiss children aged 2–18 years.
- Investigated common childhood sleep behaviors and their developmental trajectories.
Purpose:
- To document the incidence and age-related changes in various childhood sleep behaviors.
- To identify developmental trends in sleep resistance, wakefulness, night waking, bad dreaming, and somnambulism.
Summary:
- Bedtime resistance increased from 8% to 40% between ages 2 and 10.
- Evening and night waking prevalence varied by age, with night waking decreasing from 40-50% in preschoolers to 20% by age 12.
- Incidence of "bad dreaming" decreased from 60% at age 5 to 25%, while somnambulism affected 5% of children. No sex differences were observed for any sleep behavior.
Impact:
- Provides normative data on childhood sleep behavior development.
- Highlights the dynamic nature of sleep patterns throughout childhood and adolescence.
- Informs clinical understanding and parental guidance regarding common sleep disturbances in children.