Sleep quality in young adults with very low birth weight--the Helsinki study of very low birth weight adults.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between very low birth weight (VLBW; <1,500 g) and quality and amount of sleep in young adults.


METHODS
We compared 89 VLBW and 78 term-born 19- to 26-year-old adults, by actigraphy and the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire.


RESULTS
There were no group differences in sleep quality or amount (p's >.15), although VLBW adults went to bed on average 36 min earlier (95% confidence interval 6-66 min). Shorter gestational age was related to longer sleep latency both within VLBW (standardized regression coefficient beta = -.36, p =.040) and term-born adults (beta = -.25, p =.029).


CONCLUSIONS
Adults with VLBW had similar quality and amount of sleep as those born at term, although VLBW adults went to bed earlier, suggesting an advanced sleep phase. Within each group, a lower gestational age was related to a longer sleep onset.
Strang-Karlsson
Sonja
S
Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Biomedicum 2, Tukholmankatu 8A, Helsinki University Central Hospital, PO Box 448, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland. sonja.strang@helsinki.fi
Räikkönen
Katri
K
Kajantie
Eero
E
Andersson
Sture
S
Hovi
Petteri
P
Heinonen
Kati
K
Pesonen
Anu-Katriina
AK
Järvenpää
Anna-Liisa
AL
Eriksson
Johan G
JG
Paavonen
E Juulia
EJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires