Children's objective and subjective sleep disruptions: links with afternoon cortisol levels.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine possible relations between the quality and amount of children's sleep and cortisol in healthy children.


METHODS
Children's sleep was monitored with actigraphs for 7 nights. Children came to the laboratory to provide saliva samples, which were used to assess cortisol. Children reported on their sleepiness and sleep/wake problems. Sixty-four healthy children participated (M = 8.75 years; SD = .55).


METHODS
Self-reported sleepiness and sleep/wake problems, actigraphy-measured total sleep minutes, sleep efficiency, minutes awake after sleep onset, and sleep activity, and afternoon cortisol levels.


RESULTS
After controlling for demographic variables and child characteristics, higher levels of cortisol were related to increased subjective sleep problems and objective measures of shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings are of importance for understanding critical facets of children's health and well-being, and are noteworthy given the high prevalence of sleep disruptions in otherwise normally developing children in the United States.
El-Sheikh
Mona
M
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Alabama 36849, USA. elshemm@auburn.edu
Buckhalt
Joseph A
JA
Keller
Peggy S
PS
Granger
Douglas A
DA
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012463:Saliva; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
D006854:Hydrocortisone