This study examined bidirectional associations between daily happiness and negative mood and subjective and objective sleep measures. Participants were 311 adolescents (Mage = 17.37 years; 51.8% female; 59.2% White/European American, 38.6% Black/African American, 1% Hispanic/Latinx American, 1.4% multi‐racial; 19.3% below poverty line) observed over a 7‐day period (2017–2018) using sleep diaries and actigraphy. Daily negative mood was related to greater subjective sleep/wake problems, and happiness was related to lower subjective sleep/wake problems. Conversely, shorter self‐reported sleep duration was related to higher negative mood the next day. For actigraphy measures, daily negative mood was related to greater sleep duration and efficiency, whereas happiness was related to lower sleep efficiency. Differences in associations based on subjective versus objective sleep measures are discussed.

Toward better understanding the determinants of harsh parenting, the present study assessed prospective associations between mothers' and fathers' sleep problems and their harsh parenting toward their child using two waves of data. Children's gender was examined as a moderator of these associations. At the first wave, 257 families participated. Mean age was 36.15 years (SD = 5.70 years) for mothers, 39.78 years (SD = 7.54 years) for fathers, and 10.41 years (SD = 7.85 months) for children. The sample was diverse in terms of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status with approximately 68% identifying as White/European American and 29% identifying as Black/African American. After approximately 1 year, families participated in a second study wave. Parents' sleep was assessed using actigraphy (sleep minutes, sleep efficiency, and long wake episodes) and mothers and fathers reported on the occurrence of their psychological and physical forms of harsh parenting toward their child. After controlling for autoregressive effects, fewer sleep minutes, reduced sleep efficiency, and more frequent long wake episodes among fathers predicted greater harsh parenting among fathers 1 year later. Child gender moderated some of these associations such that relations between fathers' poorer-quality sleep and higher levels of harsh parenting were more pronounced for boys. Sleep problems among mothers did not predict mothers' harsh parenting over time. Findings build on a growing literature that has considered sleep in the family context and provide novel insight into the influence of parents' sleep on their parenting practices.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate relations between autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity across the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches and multiple sleep parameters in adolescence. Participants were 244 adolescents (M age = 15.79 years old, SD = 9.56 months; 67.2% White/European-American, 32.8% Black/African-American). Parasympathetic activity was indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) withdrawal and sympathetic activity was indexed by skin conductance level reactivity (SCL-r), which were examined in response to a laboratory-based stressor (star-tracing task). Sleep was assessed with actigraphs in adolescents' homes for seven consecutive nights. Two sleep parameters were examined: sleep duration indexed by actual sleep minutes and sleep quality indexed by sleep efficiency from sleep onset to wake time. Regression analyses showed that more RSA withdrawal (lower RSA during task than baseline) was associated with shorter sleep, and more SCL-r (higher SCL during task than baseline) was associated with poorer sleep efficiency. Moderation analyses showed that associations linking RSA withdrawal with fewer sleep minutes and poorer sleep efficiency, and SCL-r with fewer sleep minutes were significant only for boys. Results illustrate that higher daytime physiological reactivity (increased RSA withdrawal and SCL-r) is negatively associated with sleep duration and efficiency for adolescents, especially boys.

SummaryMaternal psychological control has been linked consistently to poorer adjustment for adolescents, however, studies of variability in the association between psychological control and adjustment are rare. Sleep serves crucial bioregulatory functions that promote well‐being and protect youths against poor adjustment associated with negative family environments. We hypothesised that the link between maternal psychological control and adolescent maladjustment would be strongest for youths with poorer actigraphy‐based sleep. The current study included 245 adolescents (Mage = 15.79 years, 52.2% girls, 33.1% Black/African American and 66.9% White/European American; 43% at or below the poverty line). Adolescents reported on their mothers’ psychological control toward them, as well as their internalising and externalising symptoms (aggressive and rule breaking behaviours). Several sleep variables were derived: minutes, onset time, and variability in each parameter over 1 week. For youths with shorter, less consistent sleep (both mean levels and variability in minutes and onset), maternal psychological control was associated with adjustment difficulties, especially externalising symptoms. This association was not significant for youth obtaining longer, more consistent sleep. The results were most evident for variability in sleep minutes and onset as moderators of effects. The findings suggest that longer and more consistent sleep is an important protective factor in the context of more controlling parenting.