Evidence for similarities between adolescents and parents in sleep patterns.
OBJECTIVE
Sleep in adolescence may vary according to strain and environmental factors. In particular, parents' behavior may affect their children's psychological functioning and sleep. However, no data have been gathered with respect to parents and their adolescent children's concurrent sleep patterns. This was the aim of the present study, together with exploration of the possible influence of parenting style on adolescents' sleep.


METHODS
A total of 293 adolescents (mean age: 17.55; 214 females, 79 males) completed several questionnaires regarding their own psychological functioning as well as a sleep log for seven consecutive days. Additionally, adolescents rated parents' sleep and parenting styles.


RESULTS
Adolescents' and parents' sleep patterns proved to be correlated. Moreover, mother's sleep was related to adolescents' psychological functioning. However, SEM showed that mother's sleep influenced adolescents' sleep not directly, but indirectly, via parenting style and adolescents' psychological functioning.


CONCLUSIONS
Sleep patterns of parents and their adolescent children show similarities. Moreover, mother's poor sleep has a direct impact on parenting style, which in turn affects adolescents' psychological functioning and sleep. Therefore, sleep problems in adolescents may mirror an unfavorable parenting style and sleep complaints among mothers. These conclusions might usefully inform family counseling and treatment of adults' and adolescents' sleep complaints.
Brand
Serge
S
Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. serge.brand@upkbs.ch
Gerber
Markus
M
Hatzinger
Martin
M
Beck
Johannes
J
Holsboer-Trachsler
Edith
E
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D001143:Arousal; D015984:Causality; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012890:Sleep; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013557:Switzerland