Sleep and Self-Regulation from Birth to 7 Years

Williams, Kate E.; Sciberras, Emma

doi:10.1097/dbp.0000000000000281

Cited by 43 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…It is important to intervene early with children who demonstrate early behavior risk at 4 years, including sleep problems, emotional dysregulation (high reactivity) and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors as measured in the current study as part of child behavioral risk. Other research (Williams and Sciberras, 2016; Williams et al, 2017) indicates the reciprocal relations among these behaviors from an early age. Sleep problems across the early childhood period, in particular, may drive and exacerbate emotional and attentional dysregulation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Early childhood behavioral sleep problems have been linked with poorer attentional regulation (Williams and Sciberras, 2016; Williams et al, 2017) and executive function development over time (Bernier et al, 2013); and also poorer academic functioning (Quach et al, 2009). A recent analysis found that at 4–5 years, children with unresolved behavioral sleep problems, combined with above average levels of emotional dysregulation and poor attention were at higher risk for poor school adjustment (Williams et al, 2016a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Executive Function in Adolescence: Associations with Child and Family Risk Factors and Self-Regulation in Early Childhood

et al. 2017

Self Cite

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Executive functions are important higher-order cognitive skills for goal-directed thought and action. These capacities contribute to successful school achievement and lifelong wellbeing. The importance of executive functions to children’s education begins in early childhood and continues throughout development. This study explores contributions of child and family factors in early childhood to the development of executive function in adolescence. Analyses draw on data from the nationally representative study, Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants are 4819 children in the Kindergarten Cohort who were recruited at age 4–5 years. Path analyses were employed to examine contributions of early childhood factors, including family socio-economic position (SEP), parenting behaviors, maternal mental health, and a child behavioral risk index, to the development of executive function in adolescence. The influence of children’s early self-regulatory behaviors (attentional regulation at 4–5 years and approaches to learning at 6–7 years) were also taken into account. A composite score for the outcome measure of executive function was constructed from scores on three Cogstate computerized tasks for assessing cognition and measured visual attention, visual working memory, and spatial problem-solving. Covariates included child gender, age at assessment of executive function, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, speaking a language other than English at home, and child’s receptive vocabulary skills. There were significant indirect effects involving child and family risk factors measured at 4–5 years on executive function at age 14–15 years, mediated by measures of self-regulatory behavior. Child behavioral risk, family SEP and parenting behaviors (anger, warmth, and consistency) were associated with attentional regulation at 4–5 years which, in turn, was significantly associated with approaches to learning at 6–7 years. Both attentional regulation and approaches to learning were directly associated with executive functioning at 14–15 years. These findings suggest that children’s early self-regulatory capacities are the basis for later development of executive function in adolescence when capabilities for planning and problem-solving are important to achieving educational goals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Executive Function in Adolescence: Associations with Child and Family Risk Factors and Self-Regulation in Early Childhood

et al. 2017

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“…These findings suggest that some children are sleeping less than the 10–13 h recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (4). Young children who sleep an insufficient number of hours are at risk for having adverse health problems (5), self-regulation problems (6), and learning difficulties (7). Preschool-age children who had sleep routines had a lower prevalence of obesity (8) and high social–emotional health (9).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Autonomic Nervous System Reactivity Moderates the Relations between Family Adversity and Sleep Problems in Latino 5-Year Olds in the CHAMACOS Study

Alkon

Boyce

Neilands

et al. 2017

Front. Public Health

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Sleep problems are common for young children especially if they live in adverse home environments. Some studies investigate if young children may also be at a higher risk of sleep problems if they have a specific biological sensitivity to adversity. This paper addresses the research question, does the relations between children’s exposure to family adversities and their sleep problems differ depending on their autonomic nervous system’s sensitivity to challenges? As part of a larger cohort study of Latino, low-income families, we assessed the cross-sectional relations among family demographics (education, marital status), adversities [routines, major life events (MLE)], and biological sensitivity as measured by autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity associated with parent-rated sleep problems when the children were 5 years old. Mothers were interviewed in English or Spanish and completed demographic, family, and child measures. The children completed a 15-min standardized protocol while continuous cardiac measures of the ANS [respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), preejection period (PEP)] were collected during resting and four challenge conditions. Reactivity was defined as the mean of the responses to the four challenge conditions minus the first resting condition. Four ANS profiles, co-activation, co-inhibition, reciprocal low RSA and PEP reactivity, and reciprocal high RSA and PEP reactivity, were created by dichotomizing the reactivity scores as high or low reactivity. Logistic regression models showed there were significant main effects for children living in families with fewer daily routines having more sleep problems than for children living in families with daily routines. There were significant interactions for children with low PEP reactivity and for children with the reciprocal, low reactivity profiles who experienced major family life events in predicting children’s sleep problems. Children who had a reciprocal, low reactivity ANS profile had more sleep problems if they also experienced MLE than children who experienced fewer MLE. These findings suggest that children who experience family adversities have different risks for developing sleep problems depending on their biological sensitivity. Interventions are needed for young Latino children that support family routines and reduce the impact of family adversities to help them develop healthy sleep practices.

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“…However, there is evidence that sleeping problems in infancy and toddlerhood are associated with self-regulation difficulties such as attention regulation and executive functioning (Bernier, Carlson, Bordeleau, & Carrier, 2010;Sadeh et al, 2015). Further, excessive crying persisting beyond 3 months of age and problems with feeding and sleeping in infancy have been associated with the development of behavior problems in childhood (Gurevitz et al, 2014;Hemmi et al, 2011;Hyde, O'Callaghan, Bor, Williams, & Najman, 2012;Korja et al, 2014;Sadeh et al, 2015;Santos et al, 2015;Schmid et al, 2010;Sivertsen et al, 2015;Williams & Sciberras, 2016), adolescence, and into adulthood (Sadeh, Tikotzky, & Kahn, 2014). This relationship may be strongest in those children who have multiple crying, feeding, and sleeping problems (Hemmi et al, 2011;Schmid et al, 2010;Wake et al, 2006;Winsper & Wolke, 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The association of infant crying, feeding, and sleeping problems and inhibitory control with attention regulation at school age

Baumann

Jaekel

Breeman

et al. 2019

Infancy

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Regulatory problems in infancy and toddlerhood have previously been associated with an increased risk of developing attention problems in childhood. We hypothesized that early regulatory problems are associated with attention problems via reduced inhibitory control. This prospective study assessed 1,459 children from birth to 8 years. Crying, feeding, and sleeping problems were assessed at 5 and 20 months via parent interviews and neurological examinations. At 20 months, inhibitory control was tested with a behavioral (snack delay) task. Attention regulation was assessed at 6 and 8 years using multiple instruments and informants. Detrimental effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems on attention regulation were partly mediated by children's ability to inhibit unwanted behaviors (β = −0.04, p = 0.013). Accounting for cognition diminished this indirect effect (β = −0.01, p = 0.209). Instead, the effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems on attention regulation were fully mediated by children's cognitive functioning (β = −0.10, p < 0.001). These results support that inhibitory control abilities partly mediate effects of crying, feeding, and sleeping problems. However, these effects may be accounted for by children's general cognitive abilities. Early regulatory problems may set infants on a course of under control of behavior into school age, and such trajectories are highly associated with general cognitive development.

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Sleep and Self-Regulation from Birth to 7 Years

Abstract: Sleep problems in children with and without ADHD are associated with emotional dysregulation, which in turn contributes to poorer attentional functioning. This study highlights the importance of assessing and managing sleep problems in young children.

Cited by 43 publications

References 54 publications

Executive Function in Adolescence: Associations with Child and Family Risk Factors and Self-Regulation in Early Childhood

Executive Function in Adolescence: Associations with Child and Family Risk Factors and Self-Regulation in Early Childhood

Children’s Autonomic Nervous System Reactivity Moderates the Relations between Family Adversity and Sleep Problems in Latino 5-Year Olds in the CHAMACOS Study

The association of infant crying, feeding, and sleeping problems and inhibitory control with attention regulation at school age

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