Poster #159 - Longitudinal Association Between Child Sleep Problems and Parenting Practices: The Role of Child Developmental Stage

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems in childhood are highly prevalent and have been linked with a broad range of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and physical health issues. When considering influences on children’s sleep, the family context has been demonstrated to play a primary role in shaping children’s sleep-wake behaviors. For instance, parenting practices have been bidirectionally associated with children’s capacity for sleep regulation. However, sensitive periods for this bidirectional link are mostly unknown, and studies are needed that test this association across various developmental periods. The current study aimed to examine the nature and magnitude of relations between parenting practices and children’s sleep problems across early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, to explicate potential developmental differences as well as sensitive periods that may guide prevention and intervention efforts.
METHOD: Participants were 564 parents (60% mothers) of children between the ages of 3 and 17 (54.4% boys). Parents reported on their positive and negative parenting practices (Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale; Parent & Forehand, 2017) and their youth’s sleep duration and quality (Children’s Sleep Habit Questionnaire; Owens, Spirito, & McGuinn, 2000) at two waves approximately 12 months apart. Longitudinal structural equation modeling was employed to examine bidirectional associations, and multiple-group models were used to test child developmental stage moderation.
RESULTS: In line with previous research, findings revealed a significant association between parenting practices and child sleep problems. Specifically, positive, β = -.16, 95% CI [-.26, -.05], and negative parenting practices, β = .17, 95% CI [.06, .27], at wave 1 were shown to longitudinally predict child sleep problems at the 12-month follow-up. Additionally, children’s sleep problems at wave 1 were longitudinally associated with negative, β = .12, 95% CI [.04, .21], and positive parenting, β = -.07, 95% CI [-.15, .006], at the 12-month follow-up, though the latter was marginal (p = .07). Regarding child developmental stage, multiple-group models found that in early and middle childhood, negative (e.g., hostility, lax discipline), but not positive parenting (e.g., warmth, supportiveness) longitudinally predicted children’s sleep problems whereas the reverse was the case in adolescence. Further, children’s sleep problems at wave 1 were longitudinally associated with parenting practices at wave 2 in early and middle childhood but not in adolescence.
CONCLUSIONS: This study is consistent with previous research and extends previous findings by providing evidence on the nature of the relationship between parenting practices and youth sleep problems. Results suggest that prevention and intervention programs for children’s sleep should place a particular emphasis on negative parenting practices (e.g., laxness and hostility) whereas programs for parents of teenagers should emphasize positive parenting practices (e.g., warmth, supportive communication, proactive parenting).

Authors

• Juliana Acosta, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Chelsea Dale, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Justin Parent, Florida International University
  Non-Presenting Author