Sleep actigraphy pattern and behavioral/emotional difficulties in kindergarten children: Association with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activity

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• 作者：Martin Hatzinger ; Serge Br ; Sonja Perren ; Stephanie Stadelmann ; Agnes von Wyl ; Kai von Klitzing ; Edith Holsboer-Trachsler
• 关键词：Pre-school children ; Actigraphy ; HPA system ; Saliva cortisol ; Sleep patterns ; Psychosocial assessment
• 刊名：Journal of Psychiatric Research
• 出版年：2010
• 出版时间：March 2010
• 年：2010
• 卷：44
• 期：4
• 页码：253-261
• 全文大小：233 K

文摘

Background

Various studies of adult endocrinology and sleep show close connections between poor sleep quality, deterioration of the HPA axis and negative psychological characteristics. However, the extent to which these associations may have already emerged and developed in childhood remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 82 preschoolers (age 4.91 ± 0.48) underwent activity monitoring for seven consecutive days and nights, wearing a digital movement-measuring instrument. Additionally, on the first and on the last morning of sleep registration, the activity of the HPA axis was assessed via the amount of cortisol in the saliva. Psychological and behavioral assessments were also made.

Results

Three sub-groups of good (22 % ), normal (58.5 % ) and poor (19.5 % ) sleepers were distinguished. Poor sleep patterns were associated with higher HPA activity and with behavioral/emotional difficulties.

Conclusions

The interplay between unfavorable sleep patterns, deterioration of the HPA axis and behavioral/emotional difficulties is already apparent in pre-school children.