Sleep Measurement in Toddlers From Low-income Families. Issue 3 (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Covington, Lauren B.; Rogers, Valerie E.; Black, Maureen M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics. Volume 40:Issue 3(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: toddlers -- low income -- actigraphy -- sleep diary; Child development -- Periodicals; Developmental disabilities -- Periodicals; Behavior disorders in children -- Periodicals; Learning disabilities -- Periodicals; Child psychiatry -- Periodicals; 618.92805
• DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000651
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-206X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Objectives: (1) To examine toddler sleep in a low-income sample by comparing sleep diaries and actigraphy and (2) to assess whether toddlers are meeting the National Sleep Foundation recommendations (11–14 hours of sleep/24 hours and bedtime before 9 PM). Methods: A convenience sample of mother-toddler dyads was recruited from 2 health care sites serving low-income communities. An actigraph was placed on the toddler's ankle and was worn for 3 days and nights. Mothers concurrently completed a sleep diary. Bedtime, nighttime sleep duration, nap duration, and 24-hour sleep duration were collected by both measures. Actigraphy data were analyzed using a combination of manufacturer's scoring algorithm and manual editing. Descriptive statistics and paired samples t -tests were conducted to examine the differences between sleep estimates by a sleep diary and actigraphy. Results: Twenty toddlers (aged 13–42 months) were included in the analyses. Based on actigraphy, 1 toddler went to bed by 9 PM on all 3 nights. Six toddlers achieved 11 to 14 hours of sleep measured in a 24-hour period for 1 of the 3 days, but when sleep was averaged across the study, none achieved this goal. Compared with actigraphy, sleep diaries underestimated bedtime by 1 hour, overestimated nighttime sleep duration by 2.5 hours, and overestimated 24-hour sleep duration by 2.3 hours, on average for all 3 nights. Conclusion: Mothers reported significantly earlier bedtimes and longer sleep durations for their toddlers compared with actigraphy, suggesting that objective measures differ from sleep diaries in assessing sleep in toddlers from low-income families. Findings should not be generalized to populations of low-income families without replication.