Poorer infant sleep patterns, especially at 12 months and when persistent from 6 to 12 months, were associated with less favorable preschool neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes, support infant sleep patterns as an early‐life factor relevant to developmental research and monitoring.
Abstract
Abstract Background Infant sleep is multidimensional, with sleep habits and sleep problems often co‐occurring and changing rapidly during early life. Evidence links infant sleep with later neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes, yet few studies have examined overall sleep patterns, their changes over time, and outcomes across multiple preschool domains. We examined associations of sleep patterns at 6 and 12 months and their transitions with preschool neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. Methods This prospective cohort study included 1707 children from the Shanghai Birth Cohort. Infant sleep at 6 and 12 months was assessed using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. Sleep patterns were identified at each time point using latent class analysis based on multiple sleep indicators, and children with sleep data at both ages were classified into transition groups. At age 4, outcomes were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Social Responsiveness Scale‐Short Form (SRS‐SF), and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function‐Preschool Version (BRIEF‐P). Multivariable linear regression estimated associations. Results At 6 and 12 months, 66.02% and 69.18% of infants were classified as having a good sleep pattern. Among children with sleep data at both time points, 51.57% had consistently good sleep, 16.68% improved, 14.44% deteriorated, and 17.31% had consistently poor sleep. Poor sleep at 6 months was associated with higher SDQ Total Difficulties scores. Poor sleep at 12 months was associated with higher SDQ Total Difficulties, SRS‐SF Total, and BRIEF‐P Global Executive Composite scores. Consistently poor sleep from 6 to 12 months was associated with less favorable outcomes than consistently good sleep. Conclusion Poorer infant sleep patterns, especially at 12 months and when persistent from 6 to 12 months, were associated with less favorable preschool neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes. These findings support infant sleep patterns as an early‐life factor relevant to developmental research and monitoring.
Background: Preschool children are increasingly exposed to digital screens during a period of rapid neurodevelopment. Excessive and poorly timed screen use may compromise sleep and contribute to emotional and behavioral difficulties, yet the extent to which sleep links the two remains incompletely characterized.
Objectives: To determine the pattern of screen exposure among preschool children, and to examine its association with sleep disturbance and with emotional–behavioral problems, including the mediating role of sleep.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 children aged 3–5 years attending selected outpatient and preschool settings. Screen exposure (duration, timing, device type) was assessed by a structured parent-report questionnaire; sleep was measured with the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ); and emotional–behavioral problems were assessed with the parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Associations were examined using chi-square tests, correlation, and multivariable linear regression adjusted for confounders. Mediation of the screen–behavior association by sleep was tested using the Baron–Kenny approach with bootstrapped indirect effects.
Results: Mean daily screen time was 2.6 (SD 1.4) hours, and only 22.4% of children met the recommended ≤1 hour/day. Greater screen time was associated with higher CSHQ scores (poorer sleep; r = 0.42, p < 0.001) and higher SDQ total difficulties scores (r = 0.36, p < 0.001). In adjusted models, each additional hour of daily screen time predicted a 1.9-point increase in SDQ total difficulties (β = 0.31, p < 0.001). Sleep disturbance partially mediated the screen–behavior association, accounting for approximately 38% of the total effect. Evening and pre-bedtime use and mobile-device use showed the strongest associations.
Conclusion: In this sample, screen exposure exceeded recommended limits and was independently associated with poorer sleep and more emotional–behavioral problems, with sleep partially mediating the relationship. Interventions targeting the amount and timing of screen use while protecting sleep may support early childhood mental health.
Rubaiyat Ferdush, Mehnaz Tabassum, Syed Reazur Rahman· International journal of res...· 0 citations
INTRODUCTION
Maternal sleep health during pregnancy has been linked to children's physical growth. Understanding its effects on early childhood growth trajectories could help mitigate the impacts on children's metabolic health. This study aims to evaluate whether late-pregnancy sleep quality is associated with children's weight trajectories from age 0 to 2 years.
METHODS
This study used 2015-2026 data from 645 mother-child pairs in a prospective pregnancy cohort conducted in Los Angeles; analyses were performed in 2025-2026. Late-pregnancy sleep quality was assessed using the Jenkins Sleep Scale (range: 0-20). Early childhood weight and length were abstracted from medical records or measured during follow-up visits from ages 0 to 2 years. Weight trajectories as a function of age, with and without adjustment for Jenkins Sleep Scale, were estimated using generalized additive mixed models.
RESULTS
This study included 645 mother-child pairs with a mean (SD) maternal age of 28.8 (5.9) years at study entry, and 51.5% of the children were female. Most mothers reported mild to moderate sleep disturbance (mean [SD] Jenkins Sleep Scale=8.0 [5.5]). Children whose mothers had poor sleep quality (≥75th percentile Jenkins Sleep Scale) had lower weight at the age of 0-6 months and greater growth thereafter, leading to significantly higher weights from ages 1 to 2 years than in children whose mothers had good sleep quality (25th percentile Jenkins Sleep Scale). Comparing children whose mothers had 90th percentile with those mothers had 25th percentile Jenkins Sleep Scale, at age 1 year, the difference in weight was 346.7 g (95% CI=102.3, 591.1 g), and the highest differences were observed at the age of 17 months (751.5 g, 95% CI=432.0, 1,070.9). Associations differed substantially by sex and preterm status but were not affected by childhood feeding practices.
CONCLUSIONS
Poor late-pregnancy sleep quality was associated with different growth trajectories between ages 0 and 2, characterized by lower early weight status followed by accelerated growth and higher weight by ages 1-2.
Xiao-Ran Yang, S. Eckel, E. Garcia et al.· American Journal of Preventi...· 0 citations
Sleep health is a critical component of maternal well-being, and poor sleep during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal-fetal and cardiometabolic outcomes. Although sleep across pregnancy has been examined in several longitudinal studies, fewer studies have included frequent repeated assessments in racially and ethnically diverse populations with a high representation of lower socioeconomic status. We aimed to characterize longitudinal patterns of sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep midpoint across pregnancy; identify groups with similar sleep profiles; and examine maternal and pregnancy characteristics associated with sleep health.
This secondary analysis included individuals enrolled in the Human Placenta and Phthalates Study in Norfolk, Virginia and Galveston, Texas (2016–2020). Self-reported sleep duration and quality were collected at up to eight visits (13–36 gestational weeks). Sleep midpoint was calculated from reported bedtime and wake time. Generalized estimating equations evaluated associations between participant characteristics and repeated sleep measures. Group-based trajectory modeling identified joint trajectories of reported bed and wake times for perceived overnight sleep duration and perceived sleep quality; sleep midpoint was excluded because models incorporating it did not converge.
Among 303 individuals, 43% were non-Hispanic Black (NHB), 39% non-Hispanic White (NHW), 16% Hispanic/Latina, and 72% had government-assisted health insurance. Across pregnancy, the proportion of individuals reporting short sleep increased modestly, perceived sleep quality worsened, and sleep midpoint remained relatively stable, with no differences in overall patterns by race and ethnicity. On average, NHB individuals were 8% more likely to report short sleep (< 7 h), and Hispanic/Latina individuals reported better sleep quality than NHW individuals. Higher BMI, lower educational attainment, parity, and government insurance were associated with worse sleep across domains. Three joint trajectory groups were identified: “Worst Sleepers” (short duration/poor quality; 60.7%), “Restless Sleepers” (7–9 h/lower quality; 25.4%), and “Best Sleepers” (adequate duration/high quality; 13.9%); 64% of NHB and 53% of nulliparous individuals were classified as “Worst Sleepers.”
Adverse sleep patterns were common across pregnancy. The findings support evaluating both sleep quantity and perceived quality during prenatal care and investigating modifiable clinical, social, and environmental contributors to persistent sleep difficulties, particularly among groups disproportionately represented in unfavorable sleep profiles.
Amir J. Lueth, Danielle R. Stevens, S. Gaston et al.· BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth· 0 citations
Sleep disturbances are common during infancy and may adversely affect parental sleep and overall well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep characteristics of infants aged 0–36 months and parental sleep quality. This cross-sectional study included 753 parents (96.7% mothers) of infants aged 0–36 months. Data were collected using an online questionnaire assessing infant sleep patterns (sleep duration, nocturnal awakenings, and sleep onset latency) and parental sleep quality using a composite index based on self-reported sleep parameters. Frequent infant nocturnal awakenings were associated with lower parental sleep quality (r = −0.36, p < 0.001). Longer infant nighttime sleep duration was positively correlated with better parental sleep quality (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Parents of infants who fell asleep within 10 minutes reported significantly higher sleep quality scores compared to those whose infants required longer to fall asleep (p < 0.001). Infant sleep fragmentation and delayed sleep onset are significantly associated with poorer parental sleep quality. These findings highlight the importance of promoting healthy infant sleep routines as part of family-centered interventions to improve parental well-being and overall sleep health.
Mehmet Cengi̇z, Servet Yuce· Medical Science· 0 citations
Despite sleep's multidimensional nature, previous research has focused on correlates of individual sleep dimensions. This study aimed to characterise young children's nighttime sleep profiles based on duration, timing, latency and quality, and to examine potential correlates. Parents of 320 children aged 1-5 years across Canada completed an online questionnaire on children's nighttime sleep (duration, timing, latency, quality) and potential correlates, including child demographics and behaviours, parental demographics, bedtime routine frequency, parent-child sleep interaction (preschoolers aged 3-5 years only), parental stress and sleep environment. Latent profile analysis classified sleep profiles using age-adjusted sleep dimensions. T-tests and logistic regressions were performed, weighted for classification probabilities. For results, two profiles emerged: Sleepy Koalas (59%) and Restless Racoons (41%), with the Restless Racoons having significantly shorter sleep duration, later sleep patterns, longer sleep onset latency and poorer sleep quality compared to the Sleepy Koalas. Children from households with income above $100,000 were twice as likely to belong to the Sleepy Koalas group (OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.35), compared to those from lower-income households. In preschoolers, when parent-child sleep interactions were added to the model, each one-unit increase in problematic interactions was associated with 21% lower likelihood of Sleepy Koalas membership (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.86), with differences across the interquartile range corresponding to up to a 95% reduction in odds. In conclusion, there may be sleep health disparities in young children across household income groups. Fostering high-quality parent-child sleep interactions may be important for promoting healthier sleep profiles in preschoolers.
Zhi-Guang Zhang, Madison Boyd, Valerie Carson· Journal of Sleep Research· 0 citations
Objective This study aims to compare the differences in sleep characteristics between autistic children and typically developing children, with a focus on sleep timing, duration, and patterns. Methods This study included 246 children with autism from an autism cohort and 246 age-matched typically developing children selected as controls. Sleep-related data were collected using structured questionnaires and interviews, along with demographic, socioeconomic, and sleep-related variables. Sleep duration was expressed in hours, and sleep timing variables were converted into decimal hours for analysis. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess between-group differences after adjusting for relevant confounding factors. Results In the weekday sleep pattern, children with autism showed later sleep onset (adjusted β = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.27–0.82) and later wake-up time (adjusted β = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.25–0.58), along with shorter sleep duration (adjusted β = −0.26, 95% CI: −0.47–−0.04). In the weekend sleep pattern, children with autism exhibited significantly later wake-up time (adjusted β = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32–0.79) and shorter sleep duration (adjusted β = –0.29, 95%CI:–0.56–−0.03). Regarding circadian sleep timing characteristics, autism status was positively associated with sleep midpoint on both weekdays (adjusted β = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.39–0.70) and weekends (adjusted β = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.55–0.95) and was also significantly associated with a later corrected mid-sleep point on free days (MSFsc) (adjusted β = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.57–0.97). Conclusion Children with autism exhibit notable sleep impairments, characterized by later sleep timing, shorter sleep duration, and more frequent nighttime awakenings. These findings suggest that sleep characteristics may be relevant for early identification and management in children with autism.
Xian Liu, Cheng Guo, Cui-Lian Gao et al.· Frontiers in Pediatrics· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
