Behavioral Profiles Associated with Objective Sleep Duration in Young Children with Insomnia Symptoms

Based on previous studies reporting on the association of objective sleep duration and physiologic changes (i.e., increased cortisol) in children, we examined the role of objective sleep duration on differentiating behavioral profiles in children with insomnia symptoms. Seven hundred children (ages 5-12, 47.8% male) from the Penn State Child Cohort underwent a nine-hour polysomnography and parent completed Pediatric Behavior Scale. Insomnia symptoms were defined as parent report of difficulty falling and/or staying asleep, sleep disordered breathing as an AHI of ≥1, and objective short sleep duration as a total sleep time < 7.7 h. Children with insomnia symptoms demonstrated more overall behavioral problems than controls. Significant interactions between insomnia symptoms and objective sleep duration on scores of externalizing behaviors, mood variability and school problems were found. Profile analyses showed that children with insomnia symptoms and normal sleep duration were associated with clinically elevated externalizing behaviors, inattention, mood variability, and school problems, while children with insomnia and short sleep duration were associated with an overall elevated profile in which internalizing behaviors were more prominent. Childhood insomnia symptoms are associated with a wide array of behavioral problems, for which objective sleep duration is useful in differentiating behavioral profiles. Children with insomnia symptoms and normal sleep duration had a behavioral profile consistent with limit-setting and rule-breaking behaviors, while children with insomnia symptoms and short sleep duration had a behavioral profile more consistent with internalizing behaviors resembling that of psychophysiological disorders.

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Work Title Behavioral Profiles Associated with Objective Sleep Duration in Young Children with Insomnia Symptoms
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Susan L. Calhoun
  2. Julio Fernandez-Mendoza
  3. Alexandros N. Vgontzas
  4. Susan D. Mayes
  5. Duanping Liao
  6. Edward O. Bixler
Keyword
  1. Childhood insomnia
  2. Behavior problems
  3. Anxiety and depression
  4. Objective sleep duration
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Publication Date June 1, 2016
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-016-0166-4
Deposited July 26, 2022

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added Calhoun_Manuscript_revision_4_FINAL_CLEAN.cx.docx
  • Added Insomnia_Behavior_Tables_CLEAN.docx
  • Added Creator Julio Fernandez-Mendoza
  • Published
  • Updated Publisher Identifier (DOI) Show Changes
    Publisher Identifier (DOI)
    • 10.1007/s10802-016-0166-4
    • https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-016-0166-4
  • Updated Work Title, Keyword, Publisher Show Changes
    Work Title
    • Behavioral Profiles Associated with Objective Sleep Duration in Young Children with Insomnia Symptoms.
    • Behavioral Profiles Associated with Objective Sleep Duration in Young Children with Insomnia Symptoms
    Keyword
    • Childhood insomnia, Behavior problems, Anxiety and depression, Objective sleep duration
    Publisher
    • J Abnorm Child Psychol.
    • Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
  • Updated Creator Julio Fernandez-Mendoza
  • Added Creator Susan L. Calhoun
  • Added Creator Alexandros N. Vgontzas
  • Added Creator Susan D. Mayes
  • Added Creator Duanping Liao
  • Added Creator Edward O. Bixler
  • Added Insomnia Behavior Figure 1.pdf
  • Updated