Transitions in sleep problems from late adolescence to young adulthood: A longitudinal analysis of the effects of peer victimization

Abstract

Adolescence is a developmental period with high vulnerability to sleep problems. However, research identifying distinct patterns and underlying determinants of sleep problems is scarce. This study investigated discrete subgroups of, changes in, and stability of sleep problems. We also examined whether peer victimization influenced sleep problem subgroups and transitions in patterns of sleep problems from late adolescence to young adulthood. Sex differences in the effects of peer victimization were also explored. In total, 1,455 male and 1,399 female adolescents from northern Taiwan participated in this longitudinal study. Latent transition analysis was used to examine changes in patterns of sleep problems and the effects of peer victimization on these changes. We identified three subgroups of sleep problems in males and two in females, and found that there was a certain level of instability in patterns of sleep problems during the study period. For both sexes, those with greater increases in peer victimization over time were more likely to change from being a good sleeper to a poor sleeper. The effects of peer victimization on baseline status of sleep problems, however, was only significant for males, with those exposed to higher levels of peer victimization more likely to be poor sleepers at baseline. Our findings reveal an important role of peer victimization in predicting transitions in patterns of sleep problems. Intervention programs aimed at decreasing peer victimization may help reduce the development and escalation of sleep problems among adolescents, especially in males.

Lifestyle and Spiritual Practices of Generation Z

“…Even though this research finds respondents keep their sleeping hours, this finding seems to contradict another study by Chang et al (2018) which found that many adolescents face difficulty in sleeping at night. A study by Van der Schuur et al (2018) found that adolescents involved in media multi-tasking also faced sleep disorders.…”

Sibling, Peer, and Cyber Bullying Among Children and Adolescents: Co-occurrence and Implications for Their Adjustment

“…Thus, results from our final model in which cumulative bullying victimization and perpetration have been accounted for simultaneously suggest that victimization experiences are particularly pertinent for sleep problems. There has been previous longitudinal work showing that a greater increase in peer victimization over time is associated with increasing sleep problems over time ( Chang et al, 2018 ). Our results add to this and suggest that similar dose-response associations may exist for experiencing multiple forms of victimization, even after accounting for perpetration.…”

Let’s get physical: Recent research on relations of adolescent peer victimization with psychosomatic symptoms, sleep, and body weight

“…Additionally, in a longitudinal study predicting both excesses and deficits in sleep (Herge et al, ), cyber victimization was found to directly predict sleep deficit, but relational victimization had a positive indirect effect on both sleep excess and deficit as mediated by depression. Another study also found that peer victimization predicted transitions in sleep problems over time, with higher victimization related to a higher likelihood that children who were initially good sleepers would transit into poor sleep patterns 2 years later (Chang, Chang, Lin, Wu, & Yen, ; Chang, Wu et al, ).…”