0823 Early Childhood Co-Sleeping is Associated with Preadolescent Behavioral Problems: A Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: Co-sleeping is still commonly practiced in early childhood around the world. Studies have shown that cosleeping is linked to disruption of the natural sleep cycle and behavioral problems. However, few longitudinal studies have examined its long-term impact on behavioral and emotional development. Therefore, we examined the effects of childhood co-sleeping on preadolescent behavioral problems in a cohort of Chinese children. Method(s): Participants included 589 (84.51%) children who co-slept with parents in early childhood and 108 (15.49%) propensity matched children who never co-slept from the China Jintan Cohort Study, a longitudinal study of behavior and health (N=1656). Cosleep was reported by parents when children were 3-5 years old using a structured questionnaire including items such as "How does your child usually sleep?" with four options: alone, with parents, with grandparents, and with other people. Preadolescent behavior was measured when children were 10-13 years old using the Youth Self Report (YSR), teacher report (TRF) and parent report of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-oriented subscale scores were calculated. Factor scores, numbers consolidating information from the three reporting sources, were generated and dichotomized into high-risk and low-risk group in each subscale by corresponding median. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the effect of early childhood co-sleeping history on preadolescent behavioral problems. Result(s): In the propensity matched group, the average age at recruitment was 5.08 +/- 0.74 years and 52.37% were male. Children with early co-sleeping history have higher risk for multiple preadolescent behavioral problems compared with the never co-slept group: anxious/ depression (OR=2.27, CI=1.44-3.59, p<0.001), withdrawal/ depression (OR=1.85, CI=1.18-2.90, p=0.007), and attention problems (OR=1.61, CI=1.04-2.50, p=0.034). Co-slept children also showed increased risk on DSM-oriented scales for affective problems (OR=1.71, CI=1.09-2.67, p=0.019) and anxiety problems (OR=1.66, CI=1.06-2.61, p=0.027). Conclusion(s): Early childhood co-sleeping is associated with increased risk in multiple preadolescent behavioral problems, including anxiety, depression, withdrawal, attention, and affective problems, even after controlling for individual differences in early childhood behavioral problems. Avoidance of co-sleeping during early childhood may help reduce later behavioral problems.