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Is temperament a risk factor for sleep? - adapted from Child Care, Health and Development, April 1995

Pediatrics for Parents, July, 1995 by Melissa A. Hall

Researchers at the University of Reading, U.K., have found a link between the temperament of children and their difficulties in sleeping. The study found that while a child's temperament was the most significant factor in ability to sleep properly, "a parent who does not set adequate limits on the child by adopting good bedtime routines and clearly distinguishing between daytime and nighttime behavior may facilitate the development of sleep problems irrespective of temperamental style."

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Noting that problems in sleeping lead to fatigue and possible further complications such as "marital discord and child abuse," researchers identified the night-waking and problems in settling at bedtime as occurring in approximately 20-40% of 3-year-olds and 8% of 4-year-olds. Researchers controlled for environmental factors by studying toddlers with or without sleep problems from the same socioeconomic group. A group of 57 toddlers, ranging in age from 12 months to 36 months, consisting of 30 girls and 27 boys, was recruited from six play groups in a large town.

Toddlers were evaluated using a standard toddler temperament scale which identifies a difficult child as being "arhythmic, low in approach and adaptability, intense and negative in mood" and an easy child as being "rhythmic, high in initial approach and adaptability, mild in intensity and positive in mood."

For those who had little difficulty in sleeping, it was noted that these children could "self-comfort" themselves if they woke up and were able to settle back down to sleep, In contrast, those with sleep problems would call for parents upon wakening in the night.

Further study of individual eases revealed that although temperament was a major factor in having sleep problems, parenting styles added significantly to the problem. When parents reacted immediately to a child's waking, they were denying the child the ability to learn self-comforting techniques. Such parental reinforcements included talking, cuddling and providing drinks to the child.

Researchers observed that children whose parents followed consistent bedtime rituals which clearly delineated sleeping and waking behaviors and activities, were less likely to suffer from sleep difficulties.

Early consistent bedtime rituals on the part of parents may be key to preventing sleep problems. Earlier research showed that 41% children who experienced sleep disruption at eight months were still experiencing the problem at four years of age.

Children who fell asleep somewhere other than their own beds were more likely to experience sleep disruption. Expecting a correlation, researchers did not find any difference in children who shared a bedroom and those who did not. Researchers stressed that further research in this area was necessary since the socioeconomic background of the group resulted in the majority of the sample having their own bedroom.

Since efforts to help parents of children with sleep disorders typically emphasize changing the child's behavior, researchers note the role that parents play in reinforcing such behavior. They say that parents of difficult children should realize that change for their children will require consistency and take a longer amount of time than required for a child with an easy temperament. Child Care, Health and Development, 4/95, pp. 233- 46.

Is temperament a risk factor for sleep? - adapted from Child Care, Health and Development, April 1995

Pediatrics for Parents, July, 1995 by Melissa A. Hall

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