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Cortisol and sleep in infancy and early childhood

Cortisol und Schlaf im Säuglingsalter und in der frühen Kindheit

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Abstract

Introduction

Cortisol release is often associated with physiological arousal or perceived stress. Findings in adults as well as in older children and adolescents show that cortisol is also connected to sleep. Furthermore, it is assumed that high-quality sleep is a predictor of regular cortisol release throughout the day.

Objective

This review summarizes the current literature on how sleep and cortisol levels are associated in early childhood.

Methods

In order to identify studies on sleep and cortisol in young children, a structured literature search was performed in the PsychINFO, PsycARTICLES, PSYNDEX, and Google Scholar databases.

Results

A total of 14 studies could be included this review. According to the results of the reviewed publications, daily cortisol release patterns develop within the first 6 months of life. In addition, young children display a cortisol awakening response (CAR) and cortisol levels are influenced by taking naps during the day as well as by the quality of nighttime sleep.

Conclusion

After reviewing the recent findings in the literature concerning children from birth up to the age of 5 years, it can be assumed that sleep patterns and sleep are associated with cortisol secretion in early childhood. This finding could be included in the creation and further development of interventional sleep training programs.

Zusammenfassung

Einleitung

Die Ausschüttung von Cortisol wird oft mit physiologischer Erregung oder wahrgenommenem Stress in Verbindung gebracht. Außerdem zeigen Ergebnisse von Erwachsenen oder älteren Kindern und Jugendlichen, dass Cortisol ebenfalls mit Schlaf zusammenhängt. Es wurde gezeigt, dass eine gute Schlafqualität ein Prädiktor für regelmäßige Cortisolauschüttung über den Tag hinweg ist.

Ziel der Arbeit

In der vorliegenden Übersichtarbeit wird zusammengefasst, wie der Zusammenhang von Schlaf und Cortisol in der frühen Kindheit in der aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Literatur dargestellt wird.

Methode

Um die bestehenden Studien zu der Thematik von Schlaf und Cortisol im Kleinkindalter zu ermitteln, wurde eine strukturierte Literaturrecherche in den Datenbanken PsychINFO, PsycARTICLES, PSYNDEX und Google Scholar durchgeführt.

Ergebnis

Es konnten insgesamt 14 Studien berücksichtigt werden. Den Ergebnissen zufolge entwickeln Kinder innerhalb der ersten 6 Monate ihres Lebens regelmäßige Muster in der Cortisolausschüttung. Darüber hinaus zeigen auch junge Kinder eine „cortisol awakening response“ (CAR), und Cortisolspiegel werden durch Tagesschlaf wie auch durch die Qualität des nächtlichen Schlafs beeinflusst.

Schlussfolgerung

Nach der Sichtung der Studien zum Zusammenhang von Schlaf und Cortisol bei Kindern im Alter von 0 bis zu 5 Jahren kann angenommen werden, dass Schlafmuster und Schlaf mit der Cortisolausschüttung assoziiert sind. Diese Aussage kann bei der Neu- und Weiterentwicklung von Schlaftrainingsprogrammen berücksichtigt werden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty for Psychology and Sports, Bielefeld University, POP 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany

    Angelika A. Schlarb, Friederike Lollies & Merle Claßen

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  1. Angelika A. Schlarb
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Correspondence to Angelika A. Schlarb.

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A.A. Schlarb, F. Lollies, and M. Claßen declare that they have no competing interests.

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Schlarb, A.A., Lollies, F. & Claßen, M. Cortisol and sleep in infancy and early childhood. Somnologie 20, 199–211 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-016-0068-2

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