Predictors of Nighttime Fears and Sleep Problems in Young Children

El Rafihi-Ferreira, R; Lewis, KM; McFayden, T; Ollendick, TH

Predictors of Nighttime Fears and Sleep Problems in Young Children

El Rafihi-Ferreira, R Lewis, KM McFayden, T Ollendick, TH

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2019, 28 (4), pp. 941 - 949
Issue Date:: 2019-04-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	El Rafihi-Ferreira, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lewis, KM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	McFayden, T	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Ollendick, TH	en_US
dc.date.issued	2019-04-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2019, 28 (4), pp. 941 - 949	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1062-1024	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/136276
dc.description.abstract	© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Objectives: This study had two major aims: (1) to explore the relationship between sleep related difficulties and behavioral and emotional problems in young children, and (2) to identify predictors of child fear and problematic sleep behaviors. Methods: Sixty-eight children (34 boys), ages 4–6 years (M = 4.9, SD = 0.9) who experienced nighttime fears and who co-slept with their parents were evaluated using parental reports of internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems, sleep difficulties and related anxiety, as well as child and parental reports of fear. Results: Child-reported fear was significantly predicted by internalizing problems when controlling for other variables whereas parent-reported fear was primarily related to child endorsed fears on a preschool fear questionnaire when controlling for the other variables. In contrast, sleep-related problems were primarily related to externalizing behavior problems whereas the number of nights slept alone was primarily related to separation anxiety on a preschool anxiety questionnaire. Conclusions: Findings from the present study point to the multiplicity of factors that account for nighttime fears and sleep difficulties in young children. Child fear and separation anxiety were related to co-sleeping. Moreover, internalizing symptoms in young children predicted child fear whereas, externalizing symptoms predicted sleep problems. Based on the reciprocal relationship between emotional/behavior problems and sleep, frequent co-sleeping and nighttime fears might serve as a risk and/or maintaining factor of disrupted sleep practices. When treating nighttime fears in young children, co-sleeping should be targeted for intervention as well.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Child and Family Studies	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s10826-019-01332-9	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Family Studies	en_US
dc.title	Predictors of Nighttime Fears and Sleep Problems in Young Children	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	28	en_US
utslib.for	1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
utslib.for	2004 Linguistics	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	28	en_US

Abstract:

© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Objectives: This study had two major aims: (1) to explore the relationship between sleep related difficulties and behavioral and emotional problems in young children, and (2) to identify predictors of child fear and problematic sleep behaviors. Methods: Sixty-eight children (34 boys), ages 4–6 years (M = 4.9, SD = 0.9) who experienced nighttime fears and who co-slept with their parents were evaluated using parental reports of internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems, sleep difficulties and related anxiety, as well as child and parental reports of fear. Results: Child-reported fear was significantly predicted by internalizing problems when controlling for other variables whereas parent-reported fear was primarily related to child endorsed fears on a preschool fear questionnaire when controlling for the other variables. In contrast, sleep-related problems were primarily related to externalizing behavior problems whereas the number of nights slept alone was primarily related to separation anxiety on a preschool anxiety questionnaire. Conclusions: Findings from the present study point to the multiplicity of factors that account for nighttime fears and sleep difficulties in young children. Child fear and separation anxiety were related to co-sleeping. Moreover, internalizing symptoms in young children predicted child fear whereas, externalizing symptoms predicted sleep problems. Based on the reciprocal relationship between emotional/behavior problems and sleep, frequent co-sleeping and nighttime fears might serve as a risk and/or maintaining factor of disrupted sleep practices. When treating nighttime fears in young children, co-sleeping should be targeted for intervention as well.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/136276