In sync with the family: children and partners influence the sleep-wake circadian rhythm and social habits of women
Abstract
Different factors have been proposed to influence morningness-eveningness, biological rhythms, and sleep-wake cycles, but few studies focused on the influence of social habits. Here, we focus on the influence of children and partners on the social habits of women at different stages of their lives and on synchronization within the family. One hundred and seventy-nine women participated in the study and were allocated into four groups: women without children, pregnant women without children, pregnant women with children, and non-pregnant mothers. Morningness was predicted by the presence of children, and earlier chronotype was predicted by the presence of children, pregnancy, and age. Average sleep duration was longest in pregnant women. The presence of children was responsible for a difference in rise times of approximately 1.5 h on the weekend. Subjective sleep-onset latencies were shortest in women with children. The synchrony between partners (husband/wife) was 0.46 in women without children, 0.79 in pregnant women, 0.40 in women with children, and 0.56 between mother and child. Partners' chronotypes were highly correlated, as were those of mother and child. This study suggests children have a strong influence on their mother's lifestyle and sleep-wake rhythm, far beyond the first months of life, and that children are a more important social factor than the male partner.
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Some studies but not others found a greater prevalence of eveningness in men compared with women, who exhibit greater morningness.
“Some studies (48, 49) but not others (9, 24) found a greater prevalence of eveningness in men compared with women, who exhibit greater morningness.”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [49]
In women, but not in men, having children was found to be the strongest determinant of morningness.
“For instance, in women, but not in men, having children was found to be the strongest determinant of morningness.”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [49]
Having children may be a more important social factor influencing a woman's chronotype compared with their partner, and potentially an effect modifier in analyses of nutritional surveys or cohorts.
“This may imply that having children is a more important social factor influencing a woman's chronotype compared with their partner (49), and potentially an effect modifier that needs to be considered in the analysis of nutritional surveys or cohorts.”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [49]
Evening chronotype is cross-sectionally associated with higher consumption of stimulants such as caffeine, energy drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol in adolescents and in college or university students.
“Several other studies have reported cross-sectional associations between an evening chronotype and higher consumption of stimulants such as caffeine, energy drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol in adolescents (24) and in college or university students (49, 78, 79, 84).”
From Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health (2019) · cites this paper as [49]
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Chronotype: Implications for Epidemiologic Studies on Chrono-Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health
Almoosawi, S., Vingeliene, S., Gachon, F., Voortman, T., Palla, L., Johnston, J. D., Van Dam, R. M., Darimont, C., & Karagounis, L. G. (2019) · Advances in Nutrition · doi:10.1093/advances/nmy070 · Cited by 247 · see citing works
Randler, C., Prokop, P., Sahu, S., & Haldar, P. (2015) · International Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1002/ijop.12098 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Leonhard, C., & Randler, C.
- Affiliations
- Heidelberg University of Education (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Randler, Christoph
- ORCID
- Randler, Christoph
- Venue
- Chronobiology International
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-01
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 510-525
- ISSN
- 0742-0528 (ISSN-L)
- 1525-6073
- OpenAlex
- W2039432894
- Cited by
- 87
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 7.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Chronobiology International (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Keywords
- chronotype, sleep-wake cycle, circadian rhythm, children, pregnancy, social habits, sleep latency, sleep duration, women
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Biological Clocks, Circadian Rhythm, Family Health, Female, Habits, Humans, Middle Aged, Mothers, Pregnancy, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sleep, Social Behavior, Work Schedule Tolerance
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