Transactional Relationship between Child Behavior and Sleep
2022 Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigator
Melanie Stearns, PhD
University of South Florida
Key Project Outcome
Approximately 10-16% of children in the US are diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and 50% of them have sleep difficulties, which negatively impact their daytime functioning. Children who experience negative parenting behaviors (e.g., verbal aggression) are also more likely to have sleep problems, and defiant children are more likely to receive negative parenting behaviors. However, no studies had examined these relationships on a daily level.
We found a positive relationship between increased daily problematic behaviors in children, like yelling and arguing, and sleep problems. In a similar vein, we also found that negative parenting behaviors, such as using verbal aggression and corporal punishment, were associated with greater sleep problems in children.
The results of the current study may help to improve behavioral sleep interventions. For example, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) is widely known to improve sleep in children and adults, but does not target child behaviors associated with behavioral disorders like Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD; yelling, argumentation, noncompliance). Moreover, if a child has behavioral problems, they may be less likely to adhere to a behavioral treatment like CBTi. Future studies should examine whether adding behavioral management techniques (like Parent Management Training) to CBTi could improve both sleep and behavioral problems in children with ODD and insomnia. Similarly, these results suggest that how a parent disciplines their child may have implications for their children’s sleep, and that teaching parents more positive ways to discipline may positively impact children’s sleep.