The Role of Sleep as a Pathway Linking Temperament and Problem Behavior in Adolescence

• In Event: Sleepless in Adolescence: The Role of Sleep Health on Adolescent Risk-Taking and Functioning

Abstract

Introduction
Individual temperament is an early emerging, biologically based predictor of problem behaviors (Xie et al., 2022). Prior work has focused on the direct effects of singular temperamental dimensions on maladaptive functioning during childhood (Jaruseviciute et al., 2022). Less work focuses on adolescent temperamental profiles or potential mechanisms linking temperament and problem behaviors. Although sleep health changes during adolescence and varies across youth, it has garnered little attention as a potential mediator. Further, as sleep like temperament is multi-dimensional, work may be improved through the increased identification of heterogenous sleep profiles. The current study examined newly identified sleep profiles as potential mediators between previously identified profiles of early adolescent temperament and subsequent internalizing and externalizing symptomatology.

Methods
Participants (N = 221; Mage =14.92, SD = 0.67) were mostly female (53.39%), White (87.78%), and Hispanic/Latina(o) (85.07%). At Time 1, participants completed the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire – Revised (EATQ-R). Three a priori temperamental profiles were examined: mixed type (low effortful control and high negative affect), average (average levels across dimensions) and resilient (high effortful control and low negative affect). At Time 2, adolescents completed the Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS; physiological, behavioral arousal, cognitive/emotional, sleep environment, sleep stability, daytime sleep, substances, and bedtime routine factors). Internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed at both timepoints utilizing the Youth Self Report.

Data Analytic Plan
Sleep profiles based on the factor scores were identified through the use of latent profile analysis utilizing Mplus software v7.4 (Muthén & Muthén, 1998-2011). Next, two mediation models were estimated with temperament profiles as the predictor, sleep profiles as the mediator, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms at Time 2 as the outcomes. Temperament and sleep profiles were dummy coded. Internalizing/externalizing symptom scores at Time 1 were included as covariates. Alternative models were run to verify directional predictability of the relation between proximal sleep profiles and problem behaviors (i.e., both assessed at Time 2).

Results
Analyses supported three sleep profiles (i.e., poor, typical, positive; see Figure 1). Sleep profiles were found to directly affect internalizing/externalizing behaviors, with poor sleep indicating greater problems (i.e., internalizing, b = 2.37, 95% CI [1.40, 3.20]; externalizing, b = .95, 95% CI [.09, 1.74]) and positive sleep resulting in lesser problems (i.e., internalizing, b = -2.97, 95% CI [-3.87, -2.18]; externalizing, b = -2.20 95% CI [-3.00, -1.24]). Additionally, sleep profiles significantly mediated the association between temperament and adolescent problem behaviors. Specifically, individuals characterized by a resilient temperament reported less severe internalizing (b = -2.11, 95% CI [-3.73, -0.76]) and externalizing (b = -1.28, 95% CI [-2.34, -0.28]) problems via positive sleep (see Figure 2).

Conclusion
Findings converge with prior work suggesting that adolescent sleep significantly impacts problem behaviors. Conversely, adolescent temperament was not shown to significantly impact proximal problem behavior when accounting for prior behavioral difficulties. Nonetheless, present findings suggest that positive sleep hygiene may help to mitigate behavioral problems in adolescents. Given evidence that programming promoting sleep hygiene in youth is highly effective (Zupanec et al., 2017), such brief, low-cost childhood interventions are recommended.

Authors

• Sarah Anne Hartmann, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Matthew T Sutherland, Florida International University

• Elisa Trucco, Florida International University