Niños con síntomas de ansiedad por separación: un estudio de sus hábitos y problemas de sueño

Despite sleeping problems being common in children with separation anxiety disorder, there are few studies that examine sleeping characteristics in Spanish children with anxiety symptoms. The aim of this study is to examine sleep in children whether they show separation anxiety symptoms or not in order to analyse the predictive value of sleep problems related to separation anxiety and to ascertain which sleeping problems are the most common. A total of 1,100 children aged between 8 and 12 years participated (41.5% boys), who completed the Separation Anxiety Subscale of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and the Child Sleep Self-report. Children with separation anxiety symptoms were found to have less suitable routines at bedtime, lower quality of sleep, greater refusal to go to bed and more sleep-related anxiety. Sleeping problems were found to be predictors for separation anxiety with 24% explained variance. The results of the study underline the importance of examining children's sleeping habits in order to better treat separation anxiety.