Sleep across early childhood: implications for internalizing and externalizing problems, socioemotional skills, and cognitive and academic abilities in preschool

Abstract

Background: Sleep is thought to be important for behavioral and cognitive development. However, much of the prior research on sleep's role in behavioral/cognitive development has relied upon self-report measures and crosssectional designs. Methods: The current study examined how early childhood sleep, measured actigraphically, was developmentally associated with child functioning at 54 months. Emphasis was on functioning at preschool, a crucial setting for the emergence of psychopathology. Participants included 119 children assessed longitudinally at 30, 36, 42, and 54 months. We examined correlations between child sleep and adjustment across three domains: behavioral adjustment (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems), socioemotional skills, and academic/cognitive abilities. We further probed consistent associations with growth curve modeling. Results: Internalizing problems were associated with sleep variability, and cognitive and academic abilities were associated with sleep timing. Growth curve analysis suggested that children with more variable sleep at 30 months had higher teacher-reported internalizing problems in preschool and that children with later sleep timing at 30 months had poorer cognitive and academic skills at 54 months. However, changes in sleep from 30 to 54 months were not associated with any of the domains of adjustment. Conclusions: Findings indicate that objectively measured sleep variability and late sleep timing in toddlerhood are associated with higher levels of internalizing problems and poorer academic/cognitive abilities in preschool.

Prospective relations between sleep in preschool years and academic achievement at school entry

“…That is, to our knowledge, the only other sample on which developments in actigraphy-derived sleep parameters have been documented. Given that the age range was slightly different across the two studies (30-54 versus 22-51 months in this study) and that Hoyniak et al (2020) assessed academic skills before school entry, whereas we assessed them in Grade 1, developmental considerations may explain the discrepant results. Overall, much more research is needed to identify the aspects of sleep for which development is meaningful, across which ages, and for which facets of academic achievement.…”

“…Overall, it may be that the most significant developments in sleep efficiency and night‐time proportion take place during infancy and that our initial assessment, at 2 years, failed to capture these developments. In fact, a very recent longitudinal study that also started after infancy found that changes in different sleep parameters between ages 30 and 54 months did not predict children's academic skills at 54 months (Hoyniak et al., 2020). That is, to our knowledge, the only other sample on which developments in actigraphy‐derived sleep parameters have been documented.…”

Understanding the Relationship Between Sleep Problems in Early Childhood and Borderline Personality Disorder: A Narrative Review

“… 99 Further, and using actigraphy measures, a recent study conducted in 119 children assessed longitudinally at 30, 36, 42, and 54 months reported that sleep variability and late sleep timing in toddlerhood were associated with higher levels of internalizing problems. 100 …”

“… Children who were above the cutoff score of the Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire were less likely to obtain the recommended amount of sleep for their age, had higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and a higher prevalence of clinical levels of externalizing and internalizing problems, had lower grades in English and French and were more likely to fail these subjects. Hoyniak et al (2020) 100 Longitudinal 119 30 months of age Age grouping: Childhood Actigraphy: sleep duration, sleep timing, sleep vulnerability, and sleep activity Parental report on daily sleep diaries More variable sleep at 30 months had higher teacher-reported internalizing problems in preschool. Children with later sleep timing at 30 months had poorer cognitive and academic skills at 54 months.…”

Preschool sleep and depression interact to predict gray matter volume trajectories across late childhood to adolescence

“…Sleep disturbances in childhood are associated with a range of maladaptive outcomes, including higher body mass indexes ( Butte et al, 2016 ), elevated blood pressure ( Quist et al, 2016 ), increased later internalizing and externalizing problems ( Gregory et al, 2005 , Gregory and O’Connor, 2002 ), poorer cognitive abilities ( Bernier et al, 2014 ), and poorer academic achievement/school performance ( Dewald et al, 2010 ). Although less research has focused on the effects of sleep disturbances in early childhood than in school-age children, growing evidence suggests that similar associations are present for sleep disturbances that emerge in the toddler and preschool period ( Hoyniak et al, 2020 , Hoyniak et al, 2021 , Reynaud et al, 2018 ).…”