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Sleep disruptions and emotional insecurity are pathways of risk for children
Author(s) -
ElSheikh Mona,
Buckhalt Joseph A.,
Mark Cummings E.,
Keller Peggy
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01604.x
Subject(s) - psychology , actigraphy , developmental psychology , context (archaeology) , sleep (system call) , normative , affect (linguistics) , clinical psychology , insomnia , psychiatry , paleontology , philosophy , communication , epistemology , computer science , biology , operating system
Background: Sleep problems are prevalent in American children. A critical need is to identify sources and processes related to sleep disruptions and their sequelae. We examined a model linking parental marital conflict and children's emotional insecurity, sleep disruptions, and their adjustment and academic problems. Method: One hundred and sixty‐six elementary school children reported on marital conflict and their emotional insecurity, the quantity and quality of children's sleep were examined through actigraphy, and parents and teachers reported on child functioning. Results: In the context of exposure to normative levels of marital conflict, children's emotional insecurity regarding their parents’ marital relationship is an intervening variable in the marital conflict–sleep disruptions link. In turn, disruptions in the quality and duration of children's sleep have a negative effect on children's behavioral, emotional, and academic performance. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of marital conflict and children's emotional insecurity as variables that can affect a fundamental aspect of biological regulation, sleep, which consequently influences children's adjustment and academic performance.