Study links bedtime consistency to better emotional control in children

A recent study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics sheds light on the importance of consistent bedtime routines for children. The research reveals that six-year-olds who maintained regular sleep schedules demonstrated stronger emotional control and better behavior in social and stressful situations compared to peers with irregular sleep patterns.

The ability to manage emotions and behaviors, known as self-regulation, is a critical skill for children. This capability not only supports healthy relationships but also lays the foundation for academic and social success. Prior research has highlighted the role of sleep in fostering self-regulation.

However, most studies have primarily examined sleep duration or relied on parent-reported behavioral outcomes, which are prone to bias. Gaps remain in understanding how consistent bedtime routines influence observed behavior, as well as the potential long-term benefits of interventions promoting sleep regularity.

The researchers, led by Adwoa “Abi” Dadzie and Orfeu Buxton of Penn State University, sought to address these gaps. They aimed to explore whether maintaining regular sleep timing was linked to better emotional and behavioral outcomes and whether an early parenting intervention might further enhance these effects. The study utilized data from the Intervention Nurses Start Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories (INSIGHT) project, focusing on objective measures of sleep and behavior in six-year-old children.

“My primary research focus is on sleep with an interest in how parenting influences sleep and how that impacts child development,” said Dadzie, a doctoral student in biobehavioral health. “I am also fascinated by how positive parenting sets children up for better emotional, behavioral and psychological outcomes. Intervening early in children can lead to positive outcomes later in life. Research in these age groups allows us to learn how to implement positive sleep habits that will hopefully persist into adulthood.”

The study included 143 children, all participants in the larger INSIGHT trial, a randomized study designed to evaluate parenting interventions. Researchers gathered detailed data on the children’s sleep and behavior at age six. Families were recruited from a Pennsylvania maternity ward, with inclusion criteria such as first-time motherhood, full-term delivery, and English proficiency. Children were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a responsive parenting intervention group or a control group focused on home safety education.

To objectively assess sleep patterns, the children wore wrist-mounted actigraphy devices for a week. These devices recorded metrics such as the timing of sleep onset, midpoint, and offset, as well as total sleep duration and maintenance efficiency. Variability in these measures across the week was also calculated.

Behavioral outcomes were evaluated through structured tasks during a clinic visit. For instance, in the “transparent box task,” children were given keys to unlock a box containing a toy, though none of the keys worked initially. This task was designed to induce frustration, allowing researchers to measure emotional regulation and impulsivity. Social behavior was assessed through a parent-child activity involving decorating a picture frame together, with trained observers coding prosocial and antisocial behaviors.

The findings showed that the consistency of sleep timing had a stronger relationship with behavior and emotional control than the average duration or quality of sleep. Children with more consistent sleep onset times exhibited better emotional regulation during the frustration task. They used adaptive strategies like self-talk rather than resorting to physical aggression or disruptive behaviors.

“A somewhat surprising finding was that sleep duration and quality was not significantly associated with child behavior despite previous research finding otherwise,” Buxton told PsyPost. “Sleep recommendations generally refer to getting an age-appropriate amount, on a regular basis. I think we’re seeing that the amount can be important, but that the regularity (less variability) is sometimes even more important.”

Greater variability in sleep onset and midpoint was associated with higher levels of impulsivity, such as hitting or throwing objects in response to frustration. Children with regular sleep patterns, on the other hand, demonstrated more prosocial behaviors, such as sharing, cooperation, and empathy, during the parent-child interaction task.

“The key takeaway from this research is that less variable sleep timing is related to child behavioral and emotional outcomes in these 6-year-old children,” Dadzie said. “Bedtimes and bedtime routines should be encouraged.”

Interestingly, the early parenting intervention appeared to moderate the relationship between sleep consistency and emotional regulation. Children in the intervention group showed no significant negative effects of inconsistent sleep on emotional regulation, while those in the control group were more adversely affected by irregular sleep patterns.

The findings emphasize the importance of sleep consistency, but some limitations should be noted. First, the sample was relatively homogenous, consisting mainly of White, middle-to-upper-income families in Pennsylvania. Second, sleep data were collected over a single week, which may not fully capture long-term sleep habits, including differences between weekday and weekend schedules. Additionally, the cross-sectional design does not allow for conclusions about causality.

Future research could explore whether these findings persist as children age and whether similar patterns are observed in more diverse populations. Examining the sleep habits of parents could also provide insights into family dynamics influencing children’s sleep and behavior.

“I would like to explore if these associations with sleep and child behavior persist at age 9 in the INSIGHT study,” Dadzie said. “Additionally, if possible, I would like to examine the relationship between sleep and child behavior in a diverse group of children.”

The study, “Associations Between Sleep Health and Child Behavior at Age 6 Years in the INSIGHT Study,” was authored by Adwoa Dadzie, Lindsay Master, Emily Hohman, Erika Hernandez Acton, Sara Tauriello, Ian Paul, Jennifer Savage, Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, and Orfeu Buxton.