Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6172364 | Early Human Development | 2010 | 6 Pages |
BackgroundLittle research has examined the associations between early sleep problems and attention problems over several developmental periods.AimsTo examine whether sleep problems in infancy and early childhood are independently related to attention difficulty at 5 and 14Â years, and to the continuity of attention difficulties from 5 to 14Â years.Study designThe study was a prospective, population-based birth cohort study.Subjects7223 women who delivered a live, singleton child between 1981 and 1983 were recruited at the first antenatal visit. Of these, 4204 had complete information on all key measures.Outcome measuresAttention problems were assessed with items from the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and were classified as adolescent onset (i.e. problems at 14 but not at 5); early remitter (problems at 5, no problem at 14); and persistent (i.e. at both 5 and 14).ResultsAt 6Â months, sleep problems 'sometimes' were associated with the early remitter group in boys. For sleep problems between 2 and 4Â years of age, findings were generally similar for boys and girls with strong associations with adolescent attention. Sleep problems 'often' were independently associated with early remitter and persistent attention problems, and 'sometimes' with early remitter and adolescent onset attention problems.ConclusionsSleep problems in early childhood are an indicator of subsequent attention problems that may persist into adolescence. Whether these associations are causal requires further research, however their presence provides an opportunity for early intervention and monitoring.