The relationship between parents' sleep quality and chronotype and children's sleep habits

Abstract

Sleep is crucial for children's development, affecting their physical, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive performance. Parents' sleep problems can affect their children's sleep patterns and vice versa. The current study aims to assess parental sleep quality and chronotype and their relationship to their children's sleep habits. Materials and Methods: This study included 122 healthy children between the ages of 4 and 12. Parents' sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), chronotype was assessed with the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, and children's sleep habits were measured using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Results: Based on the CSHQ (cut-off score >41), 88.5% of the children were found to have sleep disturbances. According to the PSQI, 33% of the mothers and 41.2% of the fathers were identified as having poor sleep quality. Most mothers and fathers were classified as intermediate chronotypes, followed by morning chronotypes, with evening chronotypes being the least common. Parental PSQI scores were positively correlated with children's overall CSHQ scores (r=0.192, p=0.048), as well as specific CSHQ subscales: bedtime resistance (r=0.251, p=0.010), sleep onset delay (r=0.306, p=0.001), sleep duration (r=0.213, p=0.028), sleep anxiety (r=0.195, p=0.045), and night waking (r=0.210, p=0.031). Conclusion: These findings suggest that children are at a high risk of having sleep disturbances and that there is a link between parental sleep quality and children's sleep habits. Further research is required to enhance the understanding of the relationship between the sleep health of parents and their children.