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Cited by 112Sleep and related disordersSleep and Wakefulness ResearchChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Individual Differences in Childhood Sleep Problems Predict Later Cognitive Executive Control

Open access
Friedman, Naomi P., Corley, Robin P., Hewitt, John K., Wright, Kenneth P.·2009·Sleep
DOI 10.1093/sleep/32.3.323PMC PMC2647786
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Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether individual differences in developmental patterns of general sleep problems are associated with 3 executive function abilities-inhibiting, updating working memory, and task shifting-in late adolescence. PARTICIPANTS: 916 twins (465 female, 451 male) and parents from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Parents reported their children's sleep problems at ages 4 years, 5 y, 7 y, and 9-16 y based on a 7-item scale from the Child-Behavior Checklist; a subset of children (n = 568) completed laboratory assessments of executive functions at age 17. Latent variable growth curve analyses were used to model individual differences in longitudinal trajectories of childhood sleep problems. Sleep problems declined over time, with approximately 70% of children having > or = 1 problem at age 4 and approximately 33% of children at age 16. However, significant individual differences in both the initial levels of problems (intercept) and changes across time (slope) were observed. When executive function latent variables were added to the model, the intercept did not significantly correlate with the later executive function latent variables; however, the slope variable significantly (P < 0.05) negatively correlated with inhibiting (r = -0.27) and updating (r = -0.21), but not shifting (r = -0.10) abilities. Further analyses suggested that the slope variable predicted the variance common to the 3 executive functions (r = -0.29). CONCLUSIONS: Early levels of sleep problems do not seem to have appreciable implications for later executive functioning. However, individuals whose sleep problems decrease more across time show better general executive control in late adolescence.

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  • Continuity in sleep problems remains into adolescence for more general sleep problems, but not for more specific sleep problems such as nightmares, bedwetting, or talking/walking in sleep.

    “Some evidence suggests that this continuity also remains into adolescence for more general sleep problems, but not for more specific sleep problems, such as nightmares, bedwetting, or talking/walking in sleep (Friedman et al. 2009).”

    From Sleep Problems Across Development: A Pathway to Adolescent Risk Taking Through Working Memory (2015) · cites this paper as Friedman et al. 2009

  • The presence of early sleep problems on its own does not predict later executive functioning; rather, the degree of change in sleep problems over time is more predictive of later executive functioning than the initial level of sleep problems measured in childhood.

    “Examination of individual differences in the trajectories of sleep problems over time suggests that the presence of early sleep problems on its own does not predict later executive functioning. Rather, the degree of change in sleep problems over time was more predictive of later executive functioning than the initial level of sleep problems measured in childhood.”

    From Sleep Problems Across Development: A Pathway to Adolescent Risk Taking Through Working Memory (2015) · cites this paper as Friedman et al. 2009

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Authors
Friedman, N. P., Corley, R. P., Hewitt, J. K., & Wright, K. P.
Affiliations
University of Colorado Boulder (US)
Corresponding author
Friedman, Naomi P.
ORCID
Venue
Sleep
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2009-03
Volume
32
Issue
3
Pages
323-333
ISSN
  • 0161-8105 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-9109
DOI
10.1093/sleep/32.3.323
PMC
PMC2647786
OpenAlex
W1562350845
Cited by
112
References
48
Citations by year
2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 6
FWCI
8.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • SLEEP (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R03MH075814, R01MH063207, R56MH063207, MH-63207, MH075814)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD010333, R01HD010333)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
childhood sleep problems, executive function, inhibitory control, working memory updating, task shifting, developmental trajectories, individual differences, late adolescence
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Attention, Child, Child, Preschool, Chronic Disease, Diseases in Twins, Female, Humans, Individuality, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Neuropsychological Tests, Problem Solving, Psychometrics, Sleep Wake Disorders, Prefrontal Cortex

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