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Child temperament, parenting discipline style, and daytime behavior in childhood sleep disorders
J Owens-Stively1, N Frank, A Smith
1Department of Pediatrics, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence 02903, USA.
Insights
Child temperament and parenting styles significantly impact sleep disturbances. Intense temperaments and lax parenting correlate with behavioral sleep disorders in children, while ineffective parenting is linked to milder issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Child Psychology
- Behavioral Pediatrics
Background:
- Sleep disturbances are common in children.
- Understanding the interplay between temperament, parenting, and sleep is crucial for effective intervention.
- Differentiating sleep issues in primary care versus specialized clinics is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare temperament, parenting style, and daytime behavior in children with and without sleep disturbances.
- To identify factors associated with different types of childhood sleep disorders.
- To explore the relationship between child temperament, parenting, and sleep disturbance severity.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving children from primary care and pediatric sleep clinics.
- Assessment of temperament, parenting style, daytime behavior, and sleep disturbance.
- Statistical analysis to determine associations between variables.
Main Results:
- Higher temperamental emotionality was linked to increased sleep disturbance in behavioral sleep disorder groups.
- Parenting laxness correlated with sleep disturbance in the general pediatric population.
- Intense, negative temperaments were associated with significant behavioral sleep disturbances.
- Ineffective parenting and daytime disruptive behaviors were more common in milder sleep disturbances.
Conclusions:
- Child temperament and parenting styles are significant factors in childhood sleep disturbances.
- Specific temperamental traits and parenting approaches are associated with different sleep disorder classifications.
- These findings highlight the need for integrated approaches addressing behavioral and environmental factors in pediatric sleep health.
Abstract:
Fifty-two children without significant sleep disturbance seen at a primary care clinic for well-child care were compared on measures of temperament, parenting style, daytime behavior, and overall sleep disturbance to three diagnostic subgroups identified in a pediatric sleep clinic: children with obstructive sleep apnea (n = 33), parasomnias (night terrors, sleepwalking, etc.) (n = 16), and behavioral sleep disorders (limit-setting disorder, etc.) (n = 31). The mean age of the entire sample was 5.7 years. Temperamental emotionality in the behavioral sleep disorders group was associated with a higher level of sleep disturbance (p < .001); parenting laxness was associated with sleep disturbance in the general pediatric population (p < .01); and intense and negative temperament characteristics seemed to be associated with clinically significant behavioral sleep disturbances. Ineffective parenting styles and daytime disruptive behaviors were more likely to be associated with the milder sleep disturbances found in children in a primary care setting.