Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jan;64(1):e15354.
doi: 10.1111/ped.15354.

Association of nighttime sleep with behaviors in Japanese early childhood

Yusuke Yamauchi  1 , Soshi Takao  1 , Naomi Matsumoto  1 , Takashi Yorifuji  1
Affiliations

Association of nighttime sleep with behaviors in Japanese early childhood

Yusuke Yamauchi et al. Pediatr Int. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Preschool children in Asian countries, including Japan, sleep for a shorter duration at night than those in Europe and the USA. We examined the effects of the nighttime sleep duration on behavioral development in early childhood in Japan.

Methods: We used data from a large Japanese nationwide, population-based, longitudinal survey that began in 2001. We restricted the study participants to children born after 37 gestational weeks, with a birth weight ≥ 2500 g and singleton births (n = 41 890). The nighttime sleep duration was examined at 2.5 years old. Responses to survey questions regarding age-appropriate behavior at 5.5 years old were used as indicators of behavioral development. We conducted logistic regression analyses with adjustment for confounding factors, with ≥11 h of nighttime sleep as the reference group.

Results: The odds ratios for children who had ≤9 h of nighttime sleep, which was associated with being unable to listen with fidgeting and being unable to remain patient, were 1.26 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.39) and 1.27 (1.16-1.38), respectively. Children who had an irregular nighttime sleep duration were associated with age-appropriate behavioral inabilities. These results were similar in children who usually and sometimes took naps to those before stratification by the frequency of napping.

Conclusion: A short nighttime sleep duration especially affects hyperactivity and impulsivity. An irregular nighttime sleep duration increases the inability to perform overall age-appropriate behaviors more than a short sleep duration. Ensuring a regular and sufficient nighttime sleep duration in early childhood is important for healthy behavioral development.

Keywords: Japan; child; growth & development; longitudinal studies; preschool; sleep.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Turnbull K, Reid GJ, Morton JB. Behavioral sleep problems and their potential impact on developing executive function in children. Sleep. 2013;36:1077-84.
    1. Beebe DW. Cognitive, behavioral, and functional consequences of inadequate sleep in children and adolescents. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2011;58:649-65.
    1. Huhdanpaa H, Morales-Munoz I, Aronen ET, Polkki P, Saarenpaa-Heikkila O, Paunio T, et al. Sleep difficulties in infancy are associated with symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity at the age of 5 years: a longitudinal study. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2019;40:432-40.
    1. Touchette E, Petit D, Seguin JR, Boivin M, Tremblay RE, Montplaisir JY. Associations between sleep duration patterns and behavioral/cognitive functioning at school entry. Sleep. 2007;30:1213-9.
    1. Paavonen EJ, Raikkonen K, Lahti J, Komsi N, Heinonen K, Pesonen AK, et al. Short sleep duration and behavioral symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in healthy 7-to 8-year-old children. Pediatrics. 2009;123:E857-64.

LinkOut - more resources