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Sleep Duration and Regularity are Associated with Behavioral Problems in 8-year-old Children

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Abstract

Background

Relatively little is known about the significance of normal variation in objectively assessed sleep duration and its regularity in children's psychological well-being.

Purpose

We explored the associations between sleep duration and regularity and behavioral and emotional problems in 8-year-old children.

Methods

A correlational design was applied among an epidemiological sample of children born in 1998. Sleep was registered with an actigraph for seven nights (range 3 to 14) in 2006. Mothers (n = 280) and fathers (n = 190) rated their child's behavioral problems with the Child Behavior Checklist.

Results

Children with short sleep duration had an increased risk for behavioral problems, thought problems, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition-based attention-deficit hyperactivity problems according to maternal ratings. Based on paternal ratings, short sleep duration was associated with more rule-breaking and externalizing symptoms. Irregularity in sleep duration from weekdays to weekends was associated with an increased risk for specifically internalizing symptoms in paternal ratings.

Conclusions

The results highlight the importance of sufficient sleep duration and regular sleep patterns from weekdays to weekends. Short sleep duration was associated specifically with problems related to attentional control and externalizing behaviors, whereas irregularity in sleep duration was, in particular, associated with internalizing problems.

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Conflicts of Interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9, Helsinki, 00014, Finland

    Anu-Katriina Pesonen

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Katri Räikkönen, Kati Heinonen, Niina Komsi & Jari Lahti

  3. National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

    E. Juulia Paavonen & Eero Kajantie

  4. Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Anna-Liisa Järvenpää

  5. Department of Health Sciences/Geriatrics, Unit of General Practice, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland

    Timo Strandberg

  6. Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Eero Kajantie

Authors
  1. Anu-Katriina Pesonen
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  2. Katri Räikkönen
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  3. E. Juulia Paavonen
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  4. Kati Heinonen
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  5. Niina Komsi
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  6. Jari Lahti
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  7. Eero Kajantie
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  8. Anna-Liisa Järvenpää
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  9. Timo Strandberg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anu-Katriina Pesonen.

Additional information

Sponsored by grants from Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, the Academy of Finland, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation.

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Pesonen, AK., Räikkönen, K., Paavonen, E.J. et al. Sleep Duration and Regularity are Associated with Behavioral Problems in 8-year-old Children. Int.J. Behav. Med. 17, 298–305 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-009-9065-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-009-9065-1

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