0790 Parental Presence at Toddler Sleep Onset Within Under-resourced Families. (12th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Covington, Lauren B; Armstrong, Bridget; Black, Maureen M
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 42(2019)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A317
• Page End: A318
• Publication Date: 2019-04-12
• Subjects: Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsz067.788
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Parental presence at sleep onset is linked to poor sleep outcomes in childhood. Limited research has examined how parental presence at toddler sleep onset relates to sleep among under-resourced families; a population at increased risk of poor sleep. This study examined the associations between parental presence, bedtime variability, and toddler sleep onset. We hypothesized that parental presence would be associated with more bedtime variability and subsequently later sleep onset for toddlers. Methods: This study uses baseline data from low-income mother-toddler dyads (age 12-32 months) who participated in an obesity prevention study. Mothers provided demographic information and completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ). Toddlers wore Actical accelerometers for up to 7 days. Sleep was from accelerometer data using the Sadeh sleep algorithm. Bedtime variability was the within-person standard deviation (SD) of accelerometer derived sleep onset across all days. A mediation model was conducted in the SPSS macro PROCESS to examine relationships between parental presence, bedtime variability and parent-reported sleep onset. Results: Sample included 160 low-income mother-toddler dyads; 70% African American, 72% not married, 63% unemployed, 70% living at or below poverty. Approximately 50% of parents were present at toddler sleep onset. The average variability (SD) of bedtime was 85 minutes (range = 4-213 minutes). Toddlers fell asleep around 9 pm on average. Parental presences was associated with more bedtime variability (β = 936.95, SE = 433.89, p = .03), and bedtime variability was associated with later sleep onset (β = 0.31, SE = .10, p = .001). There was a significant indirect effect of bedtime variability on the relation between parental presence and later parent-reported sleep onset (β = -291.69, 95% CI = -735.34, 11.08 p = .024). Conclusion: Toddlers' reliance on parents to fall asleep was associated with more variable bedtimes, and was subsequently associated with later sleep onset. Future research should investigate strategies to help toddlers self soothe and fall asleep independently to ultimately improve toddler sleep in under-resourced families. Support (If Any): Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), R01HD056099