0714 DELAYED-PHASE, SLEEP INSTABILITY, SLEEP CONCORDANCE AND AWAKENINGS: PRELIMINARY ASSOCIATIONS WITH SOCIAL AND NEUROCOGNITIVE DIFFICULTIES AND PARENTING RISK

Abstract

Introduction: Social and neurocognitive problems (unrealistic expectations and hostile biases toward children, cognitive inflexibility, slow processing, and poor problem solving/planning) have been linked to parenting risk including risk for child maltreatment. In laboratory studies examining individuals, sleep problems have been linked to similar cognitive difficulties (e.g., cognitive inflexibility, slow processing). Less work has been conducted in real-world settings or relational contexts. This study examined associations between sleep, cognition and parenting within disadvantaged mothers. Methods: Participants: 22 low-income mothers of 3-5 year olds. Sleep Measures: Phase (actigraphy), Chronotype (self-report on the Munich), Bedtime/sleep-onset instability (average night-tonight variability in mother bedtime/sleep-onset), WASO and number of awakenings (7 days), Positive sleep mismatch (% of 15-second epochs where mother awake and child asleep/resting), Negative sleep mismatch (% of 15 second epochs where mother asleep/resting and child awake) Cognitive Measures: Parent Opinion Questionnaire (rigid/unrealistic expectations of children), Child Vignettes (attributions for aversive child behavior), Wisconsin Card Sort/Alternate Uses Test (cognitive flexibility), Tower of London (planning/problem-solving), Trailmaking Test (EF/planning/processing speed), WAIS-IV Coding/WAIS-III Symbol Search (processing speed) Parenting Measures Observations of maternal behavioral warmth/ flexibility; dyadic synchrony, Child Vignettes (punishment ratings for aversive child behavior) Results: Delayed-phase was significantly associated with greater hostile attributions, cognitive inflexibility, and slow processing (r's range from .418-.527). Self-reported chronotype mirrored these findings with significant associations with greater hostile attributions and slower processing. Bedtime and sleep-onset instability were significantly associated with unrealistic expectations. Mothers' WASO and awakenings were significantly linked to slower processing. Negative sleep mismatch was significantly associated with poorer planning/ problem-solving.Mothers' delayed phase, later chronotype and bedtime instability showed significant associations with less maternal flexibility and lower dyadic synchrony (r's range from .452-.469). Positive sleep mismatch was associated with greater maternal behavioral warmth and flexibility. Mothers' delayed phase, delayed chronotype, WASO, and awakenings were associated with greater punishment ratings. Conclusion: Findings indicate that maternal sleep is associated with decrements in cognition and parenting. Positive and negative sleep mismatch showed differential associations with maternal cognition and parenting risk. Findings suggest sleep interventions may have utility for reducing parenting risk.