Sleep Duration and Internalizing Symptoms in Children.

Abstract

Objective: Emotional problems such as anxiety and low mood have been associated with sleep problems in children. The study's objectives were to 1) assess the association between sleep duration and internalizing symptoms (anxiety and low mood) in children aged 5-12 years (y), and 2) evaluate whether insufficient sleep according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) guidelines is associated with internalizing symptoms.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of N =796 children aged 5-12y, recruited from primary care physicians' offices in Toronto, Canada was conducted through the TARGet Kids! research network. Using linear regression, we investigated 1) the cross-sectional association between parent reported 24-hour sleep duration (hours) and parent reported symptoms using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), controlling for child age, sex, family income, maternal education, family composition, and standardized body-mass index (zBMI). The analysis was repeated using insufficient sleep per NSF guideline as the independent variable.

Results: Sleep duration was inversely associated with internalizing symptoms, B estimate = -0.33 (95%CI -0.57, -0.07), p=0.012. Twenty-eight (14%) children aged 5 y, and 36 (6%) of those aged 6-12y, experienced insufficient sleep. There was a trend toward association between insufficient sleep and internalizing symptoms, B estimate = 0.64 (-0.09, 1.38), p=0.086.

Conclusion: The relationship between insufficient sleep and internalizing symptoms among children requires further elucidation. Children who show internalizing symptoms may benefit from interventions supporting sleep.