Sleep–Wake Timings in Adolescence: Chronotype Development and Associations with Adjustment

Karan, Maira; Bai, Sunhye; Almeida, David M.; Irwin, Michael R.; McCreath, Heather; Fuligni, Andrew J.

doi:10.1007/s10964-021-01407-1

Empirical Research
Published: 19 February 2021

Sleep–Wake Timings in Adolescence: Chronotype Development and Associations with Adjustment

Maira Karan ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9173-8315¹,
Sunhye Bai^2,3,
David M. Almeida⁴,
Michael R. Irwin^5,6,
Heather McCreath⁷ &
Andrew J. Fuligni^1,3,5,6

Journal of Youth and Adolescence volume 50, pages 628–640 (2021)Cite this article

1067 Accesses
1 Citations
10 Altmetric
Metrics details

Abstract

Adolescent sleep research has focused heavily on duration and quality with less work examining chronotype, defined as individual differences in sleep–wake timings driven by the circadian rhythm. This study filled a gap in the literature by utilizing actigraphy-based sleep estimates in an accelerated longitudinal design in order to better understand the developmental trajectory and individual stability of chronotype during adolescence, as well as the associations between chronotype with risky behaviors, substance use, and depressive symptoms. A total of 329 adolescents (57% female; 21% Asian American, 31% European American, 41% Latino, 7% other ethnicity) provided actigraphy-based estimates of sleep and completed questionnaires at up to three time points, two years apart, beginning at 14–17 years of age. Multilevel modeling revealed a non-linear developmental trend in chronotype whereby eveningness increased from 14 to 19 years of age followed by a trend toward morningness. Individual differences in chronotype exhibited modest stability during adolescent development. Furthermore, greater evening chronotype was associated with more risky behaviors and substance use among males, and more substance use among older adolescents, whereas depressive symptoms were not associated with chronotype. The findings from this study may have practical implications for adolescent behavioral health interventions targeted at reducing risky behaviors and substance use among youth.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

Adam, E. K., Snell, E. K., & Pendry, P. (2007). Sleep timing and quantity in ecological and family context: a nationally representative time-diary study. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(1), 4 https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.1.4.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Alexander, C. S., Kim, Y. J., Ensminger, M., Johnson, K. E., Smith, B. J., & Dolan, L. J. (1990). A measure of risk taking for young adolescents: Reliability and validity assessments. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 19(6), 559–569. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537176.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Alloy, L. B., Hamilton, J. L., Hamlat, E. J., & Abramson, L. Y. (2016). Pubertal development, emotion regulatory styles, and the emergence of sex differences in internalizing disorders and symptoms in adolescence. Clinical Psychological Science, 4(5), 867–881. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702616643008.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Alvaro, P. K., Roberts, R. M., & Harris, J. K. (2014). The independent relationships between insomnia, depression, subtypes of anxiety, and chronotype during adolescence. Sleep Medicine, 15(8), 934–941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2014.03.019.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Andresen, E. M., Malmgren, J. A., Carter, W. B., & Patrick, D. L. (1994). Screening for depression in well older adults: Evaluation of a short form of the CES-D. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 10(2), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(18)30622-6.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Au, J., & Reece, J. (2017). The relationship between chronotype and depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 218, 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.021.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Bai, S., Karan, M., Gonzales, N. A., & Fuligni, A. J. (2020). A daily diary study of sleep chronotype among Mexican-origin adolescents and parents: Implications for adolescent behavioral health. Development and Psychopathology, 1, 10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419001780.
Article Google Scholar
Blake, M. J., Latham, M. D., Blake, L. M., & Allen, N. B. (2019). Adolescent-sleep-intervention research: Current state and future directions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(5), 475–482. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721419850169.
Article Google Scholar
Britton, W. B., Bootzin, R. R., Cousins, J. C., Hasler, B. P., Peck, T., & Shapiro, S. L. (2010). The contribution of mindfulness practice to a multicomponent behavioral sleep intervention following substance abuse treatment in adolescents: A treatment-development study. Substance Abuse, 31(2), 86–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897071003641297.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Buysse, D. J. (2014). Sleep health: Can we define it? Does it matter? Sleep, 37(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.3298.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Buysse, D. J., Reynolds, III, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: A new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2010 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire. Available at: www.cdc.gov/yrbs.
Chiang, J. J., Kim, J. J., Almeida, D. M., Bower, J. E., Dahl, R. E., Irwin, M. R., & Fuligni, A. J. (2017). Sleep efficiency modulates associations between family stress and adolescent depressive symptoms and negative affect. Journal of Adolescent Health, 61(4), 501–507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.04.011.
Article Google Scholar
Chiang, J. J., Tsai, K. M., Park, H., Bower, J. E., Almeida, D. M., Dahl, R. E., & Fuligni, A. J. (2016). Daily family stress and HPA axis functioning during adolescence: The moderating role of sleep. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 71, 43–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.05.009.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Chiu, W. H., Yang, H. J., & Kuo, P. H. (2017). Chronotype preference matters for depression in youth. Chronobiology International, 34(7), 933–941. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2017.1327441.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Choi, H. J., Lu, Y., Schulte, M., & Temple, J. R. (2018). Adolescent substance use: Latent class and transition analysis. Addictive Behaviors, 77, 160–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.09.022.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Clayborne, Z. M., Varin, M., & Colman, I. (2019). Systematic review and meta-analysis: Adolescent depression and long-term psychosocial outcomes. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(1), 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.07.896.
Article Google Scholar
Conroy, D. A., & Arnedt, J. T. (2014). Sleep and substance use disorders: An update. Current Psychiatry Reports, 16(10), 487 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.05.009.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Díaz-Morales, J. F., Escribano, C., Jankowski, K. S., Vollmer, C., & Randler, C. (2014). Evening adolescents: The role of family relationships and pubertal development. Journal of Adolescence, 37(4), 425–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.03.001.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Druiven, S. J., Hovenkamp‐Hermelink, J. H., Knapen, S. E., Kamphuis, J., Haarman, B. C., Penninx, B. W., & Riese, H. (2020). Stability of chronotype over a 7‐year follow‐up period and its association with severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Depression and Anxiety, 37(5), 466–474. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22995.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Duarte, L. L., Menna-Barreto, L., Miguel, M. A. L., Louzada, F., Araújo, J., Alam, M., & Pedrazzoli, M. (2014). Chronotype ontogeny related to gender. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 47(4), 316–320. https://doi.org/10.1590/1414-431X20143001.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Duell, N., Steinberg, L., Icenogle, G., Chein, J., Chaudhary, N., Di Giunta, L., & Pastorelli, C. (2018). Age patterns in risk taking across the world. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(5), 1052–1072. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0752-y.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Fischer, D., Lombardi, D. A., Marucci-Wellman, H., & Roenneberg, T. (2017). Chronotypes in the US–influence of age and sex. PLoS One, 12(6), e0178782 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178782.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Fuligni, A. J., & Hardway, C. (2006). Daily variation in adolescents’ sleep, activities, and psychological well‐being. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16(3), 353–378. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2006.00498.x.
Article Google Scholar
Hagenauer, M. H., & Lee, T. M. (2012). The neuroendocrine control of the circadian system: Adolescent chronotype. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 33(3), 211–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2012.04.003.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Haraden, D. A., Mullin, B. C., & Hankin, B. L. (2017). The relationship between depression and chronotype: A longitudinal assessment during childhood and adolescence. Depression and Anxiety, 34(10), 967–976. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22682.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Harvey, A. G., Hein, K., Dolsen, M. R., Dong, L., Rabe-Hesketh, S., Gumport, N. B., & Smith, R. L. (2018). Modifying the impact of eveningness chronotype (“Night-Owls”) in youth: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(10), 742–754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.04.020.
Article Google Scholar
Hasler, B. P., Casement, M. D., Sitnick, S. L., Shaw, D. S., & Forbes, E. E. (2017). Eveningness among late adolescent males predicts neural reactivity to reward and alcohol dependence 2 years later. Behavioural Brain Research, 327, 112–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2017.02.024.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Haynie, D. L., Lewin, D., Luk, J. W., Lipsky, L. M., O’Brien, F., Iannotti, R. J., & Simons-Morton, B. G. (2018). Beyond sleep duration: Bidirectional associations among chronotype, social jetlag, and drinking behaviors in a longitudinal sample of US high school students. Sleep, 41(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsx202.
Article Google Scholar
Huynh, V. W., Guan, S. S. A., Almeida, D. M., McCreath, H., & Fuligni, A. J. (2016). Everyday discrimination and diurnal cortisol during adolescence. Hormones and Behavior, 80, 76–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.01.009.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Kalmbach, D. A., Schneider, L. D., Cheung, J., Bertrand, S. J., Kariharan, T., Pack, A. I., & Gehrman, P. R. (2017). Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: Insights from three landmark GWAS. Sleep, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsw073.
Karan, M., & Park, H. (2020). Sleep quality and cultural orientation among Chinese and Korean undergraduates in the United States. Journal of American College Health, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1763368.
Kuula, L., Pesonen, A. K., Merikanto, I., Gradisar, M., Lahti, J., Heinonen, K., & Räikkönen, K. (2018). Development of late circadian preference: Sleep timing from childhood to late adolescence. The Journal of Pediatrics, 194, 182–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2017.10.068.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Lemola, S., Perkinson-Gloor, N., Brand, S., Dewald-Kaufmann, J. F., & Grob, A. (2015). Adolescents’ electronic media use at night, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms in the smartphone age. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(2), 405–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0176-x.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Merikanto, I., Lahti, J., Kuula, L., Heinonen, K., Räikkönen, K., Andersson, S., & Pesonen, A. K. (2018). Circadian preference and sleep timing from childhood to adolescence in relation to genetic variants from a genome-wide association study. Sleep Medicine, 50, 36–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2018.04.015.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Pabst, S. R., Negriff, S., Dorn, L. D., Susman, E. J., & Huang, B. (2009). Depression and anxiety in adolescent females: the impact of sleep preference and body mass index. Journal of Adolescent Health, 44(6), 554–560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.11.012.
Article Google Scholar
Paine, S. J., Gander, P. H., & Travier, N. (2006). The epidemiology of morningness/eveningness: Influence of age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors in adults (30-49 years). Journal of Biological Rhythms, 21(1), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730405283154.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Park, H., Chiang, J. J., Irwin, M. R., Bower, J. E., McCreath, H., & Fuligni, A. J. (2019). Developmental trends in sleep during adolescents’ transition to young adulthood. Sleep Medicine, 60, 202–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2019.04.007.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Park, H., Tsai, K. M., Dahl, R. E., Irwin, M. R., McCreath, H., Seeman, T. E., & Fuligni, A. J. (2016). Sleep and inflammation during adolescence. Psychosomatic Medicine, 78(6), 677 https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000340.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Paus, T., Keshavan, M., & Giedd, J. N. (2008). Why do many psychiatric disorders emerge during adolescence? Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(12), 947–957. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2513.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Radloff, L. S. (1991). The use of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in adolescents and young adults. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20(2), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537606.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Randler, C. (2011). Association between morningness–eveningness and mental and physical health in adolescents. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 16(1), 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2010.521564.
Article Google Scholar
Randler, C., Bilger, S., & Díaz-Morales, J. F. (2009). Associations among sleep, chronotype, parental monitoring, and pubertal development among German adolescents. The Journal of Psychology, 143(5), 509–520. https://doi.org/10.3200/JRL.143.5.509-520.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Raniti, M. B., Allen, N. B., Schwartz, O., Waloszek, J. M., Byrne, M. L., Woods, M. J., & Trinder, J. (2017). Sleep duration and sleep quality: Associations with depressive symptoms across adolescence. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 15(3), 198–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2015.1120198.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Roenneberg, T., Kuehnle, T., Pramstaller, P. P., Ricken, J., Havel, M., Guth, A., & Merrow, M. (2004). A marker for the end of adolescence. Current Biology, 14(24), R1038–R1039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2004.11.039.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Roenneberg, T., Pilz, L. K., Zerbini, G., & Winnebeck, E. C. (2019). Chronotype and social jetlag: A (self-) critical review. Biology, 8(3), 54 https://doi.org/10.3390/biology8030054.
Article PubMed Central Google Scholar
Roenneberg, T., Wirz-Justice, A., & Merrow, M. (2003). Life between clocks: Daily temporal patterns of human chronotypes. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 18(1), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730402239679.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Sadeh, A., Sharkey, M., & Carskadon, M. A. (1994). Activity-based sleep-wake identification: An empirical test of methodological issues. Sleep, 17(3), 201–207. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/17.3.201.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Santisteban, J. A., Brown, T. G., & Gruber, R. (2018). Association between the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire and wrist actigraphy. Sleep Disorders, 2018, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5646848.
Article Google Scholar
Staff, J., Schulenberg, J. E., Maslowsky, J., Bachman, J. G., O’Malley, P. M., Maggs, J. L., & Johnston, L. D. (2010). Substance use changes and social role transitions: Proximal developmental effects on ongoing trajectories from late adolescence through early adulthood. Development and Psychopathology, 22(4), 917 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579410000544.
Article PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar
Takahashi, M., Tahara, Y., Tsubosaka, M., Fukazawa, M., Ozaki, M., Iwakami, T., & Shibata, S. (2018). Chronotype and social jetlag influence human circadian clock gene expression. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28616-2.
Article Google Scholar
Tarokh, L., Short, M., Crowley, S. J., Fontanellaz-Castiglione, C. E., & Carskadon, M. A. (2019). Sleep and circadian rhythms in adolescence. Current Sleep Medicine Reports, 5(4), 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-019-00155-w.
Article Google Scholar
Taylor, B. J., & Hasler, B. P. (2018). Chronotype and mental health: Recent advances. Current Psychiatry Reports, 20(8), 59 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0925-8.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Tsai, K. M., Dahl, R. E., Irwin, M. R., Bower, J. E., McCreath, H., Seeman, T. E., & Fuligni, A. J. (2018). The roles of parental support and family stress in adolescent sleep. Child Development, 89(5), 1577–1588. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12917.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Wang, L., & Chartrand, T. L. (2015). Morningness–eveningness and risk taking. The Journal of Psychology, 149(4), 394–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2014.885874.
Article PubMed Google Scholar
Weber, E. U., Blais, A. R., & Betz, N. E. (2002). A domain‐specific risk‐attitude scale: Measuring risk perceptions and risk behaviors. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 15(4), 263–290. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.414.
Article Google Scholar
Wittmann, M., Dinich, J., Merrow, M., & Roenneberg, T. (2006). Social jetlag: Misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiology International, 23(1-2), 497–509. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520500545979.
Article PubMed Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
Maira Karan & Andrew J. Fuligni
Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16801, USA
Sunhye Bai
Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
Sunhye Bai & Andrew J. Fuligni
Center for Healthy Aging, College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16801, USA
David M. Almeida
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
Michael R. Irwin & Andrew J. Fuligni
Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
Michael R. Irwin & Andrew J. Fuligni
Division of Geriatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, 10945 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
Heather McCreath

Authors

Maira Karan
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Sunhye Bai
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
David M. Almeida
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Michael R. Irwin
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Heather McCreath
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Andrew J. Fuligni
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

M. K. developed the study concept, performed analyses, and drafted the manuscript. A. J. F. developed the study concept, collected data, and provided extensive input on analyses and the manuscript. S. B. provided extensive input on analyses and the manuscript. D. M. A. was involved in data collection, provided input on analyses and the manuscript. M. R. I. was involved in data collection, provided input on analyses and the manuscript. H. M. was involved in data collection, provided input on analyses and the manuscript. All authors interpreted the results, and read and approved of the final manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD062547); the UCLA California Center for Population Research, which was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R24-HD041022); and the UCLA Older Americans Independence Center, which was supported by the National Institute on Aging (P30-AG017265 and P30-AG028748) awarded to A. J. F. Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development T32 Fellowship awarded to M. K. (5T32HD091059).

Data Sharing and Declaration

This manuscript’s data will not be deposited.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maira Karan.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical Approval

All procedures in this study complied with ethical standards of the University of California, Los Angeles Institutional Review Board (IRB #14-000404)

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all adult participants and minor participants’ parents, and assent was obtained from all minor participants.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karan, M., Bai, S., Almeida, D.M. et al. Sleep–Wake Timings in Adolescence: Chronotype Development and Associations with Adjustment. J Youth Adolescence 50, 628–640 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01407-1

Download citation

Received: 05 January 2021
Accepted: 29 January 2021
Published: 19 February 2021
Issue Date: April 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01407-1

Keywords

Sleep
Chronotype
Adolescence
Risky behaviors
Substance use