A Developmental Cascade Model of Behavioral Sleep Problems and Emotional and Attentional Self-Regulation Across Early Childhood

Behav Sleep Med. 2017 Jan-Feb;15(1):1-21. doi: 10.1080/15402002.2015.1065410. Epub 2015 Nov 30.

Abstract

This article documents the longitudinal and reciprocal relations among behavioral sleep problems and emotional and attentional self-regulation in a population sample of 4,109 children participating in Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)-Infant Cohort. Maternal reports of children's sleep problems and self-regulation were collected at five time-points from infancy to 8-9 years of age. Longitudinal structural equation modeling supported a developmental cascade model in which sleep problems have a persistent negative effect on emotional regulation, which in turn contributes to ongoing sleep problems and poorer attentional regulation in children over time. Findings suggest that sleep behaviors are a key target for interventions that aim to improve children's self-regulatory capacities.

MeSH terms

  • Attention*
  • Australia
  • Child
  • Child Behavior*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Emotions*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Models, Biological*
  • Problem Behavior*
  • Self-Control*
  • Sleep
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / psychology*