Gregory, Alice M.; Van der Ende, Jan; Willis, Thomas A. and Verhulst, Frank C.. 2008. Parent-reported sleep problems during development and self-reported anxiety/depression, attention problems, and aggressive behavior later in life. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 162(4), pp. 330-335. [Article]

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Abstract or Description

Objective
To examine associations between sleep problems during development and subsequent emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Design
Prospective longitudinal study.

Setting
The Dutch province of Zuid-Holland.

Participants
At time 1 of data collection, a representative sample of 2076 children aged 4 to 16 years participated in the study.

Outcome Measures
Parents rated their children's (4-19 years old) sleep at 5 assessments by completing the Child Behavior Checklist. Participants reported on their own emotional and behavioral symptoms at a later assessment (when aged 18-32 years) by completing the Young Adult Self-Report.

Results
After adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and parent-rated scores through development for the difficulty being predicted, having any parental reports of sleeping less than others was a risk indicator of high scores on the Anxious/Depressed scale (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.90; P = .01) and the Aggressive Behavior scale (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-2.02; P = .005). There was some (albeit less robust) support for links between other reported sleep difficulties and later problems. Parental reports of sleeping more than others and nightmares were not associated with later difficulties.

Conclusions
Physicians should inquire about sleep problems during child development and should be aware that some, but perhaps not others, may constitute risk indicators of later difficulties.

Item Type:	Article
Departments, Centres and Research Units:	Psychology
Dates:	Date Event April 2008 Published
Item ID:	5181
Date Deposited:	11 Mar 2011 10:57
Last Modified:	30 Jun 2017 15:19
Peer Reviewed:	Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.
URI:	https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/5181

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