Developmental Trajectories of Children's Sleep and Adjustment

Auburn University, Auburn AL

Investigators

Abstract

Approximately 40% of U.S. children live in families characterized by high levels of parental conflict, and the negative psychological and behavioral outcomes associated with exposure to parental marital conflict are well-documented. The current project will extend an ongoing, longitudinal project that has been examining interrelations among parental conflict, sleep, and child adjustment. Previous waves of data collection in this project demonstrated that disruptions in an important facet of children's biological regulation, namely sleep, can have deleterious effects on typically developing children, and highlighted the importance of simultaneously examining family and sleep functioning in the prediction of child outcomes. The opportunity to follow the same families during a time when children are entering puberty is vital to determine the role of marital conflict in child development. Children and their families will be asked to participate in a third wave of data collection in which marital functioning and associated processes (e.g., emotional insecurity) are examined, children's sleep quality and quantity are assessed, and multiple domains of children's adjustment (socio-emotional, cognitive, academic) are investigated. This wave of data collection will allow the investigators to (1) analyze the mediating (intervening) role of sleep in the link between marital conflict and child development over time; (2) determine whether relations among marital conflict, children's sleep, and daytime functioning persist, weaken, or become stronger as children enter puberty, and ascertain if these associations differ based on child sex, ethnicity or socio-economic status; and (3) clarify processes that can influence child adaptation in the context of marital conflict and sleep disruptions. Knowledge of contextual factors (e.g., high marital conflict) and psychobiological processes (e.g., sleep) associated with normative familial risk in children are critical for education and prevention efforts, multidisciplinary intervention, and institutional structures and policies relating to children and families. Understanding the role of sleep will inform interventions that promote resiliency, coping, and competence in many areas of functioning. By integrating theories and methods from different disciplines, the study will facilitate collaborations among the medical and social sciences in the ultimate service of public policy and practice. Further, Alabama's high rate of poverty, as well as large minority (African-American) population, makes the setting advantageous for studying the impact of multiple factors on the well-being of a diverse population of children. There are also a number of educational benefits of this study. Graduate and undergraduate students will be trained in interdisciplinary methods and working with a diverse population. Parents, school administrators, teachers, clinicians, and county agents will have the opportunity to participate in training workshops and seminars that are based on study findings. Finally, results will be presented via professional meetings, multidisciplinary journals, and a user-friendly website.