Abstract
Introduction
Sleep is known to be associated with socioeconomic status (SES) in older children and adults with those from lower SES households often experiencing poorer sleep quality. Whether this disparity exists in early childhood is relatively unknown, despite being an important age marked by sleep transitions and the establishment of lifelong sleep habits. Furthermore, it is a critical period for cognitive development and learning, which are supported by sleep. Here, we explore associations between sleep and SES in a preschool population. We hypothesized that children from lower SES households would exhibit shorter overnight sleep, longer and more frequent naps, and shorter 24-hr sleep. Additionally, we considered racial and ethnic disparities in sleep which can be confounded with SES in some samples.
Methods
Child (n=441; M age=51.9mo; 45.4% female) sleep was measured objectively using actigraph watches, worn for 3-16 days (M=9.5 days). Caregivers reported child demographics and household data. Race/ethnicity of our sample was 72% White, 10.2% Black, 17.8% other or more than one race, and 28.4% identified as Hispanic. 20.1% of our sample was categorized as low SES. Effects of SES and race/ethnicity on continuous sleep measures were assessed using multiple regression models, with age and gender as covariates. Nap habituality was assessed using chi-square tests.
Results
Lower SES was associated with shorter nighttime sleep duration, longer nap duration, and shorter 24-hr sleep duration (p’s<.001). Children from lower SES households were also more likely to nap habitually (p=.04) as were Hispanic children (p<.001). Hispanic children also tended to have longer nap bouts (p=.002). Hispanic and Black children on average had shorter overnight sleep durations than White children (p’s<.04), but their 24-hr sleep did not differ.
Conclusion
SES-related sleep disparities were present in this preschool population, with lower SES children exhibiting poorer sleep. When controlling for SES, Hispanic children tended to sleep less overnight which was compensated for by longer, more frequent naps. This underscores the necessity of naps for some children to achieve adequate sleep. Future directions will explore the relationship between parenting factors and sleep, such as bedtime routines and parent knowledge surrounding child sleep needs.
Support (if any)
NIH R01 HL111695
Civic development across the transition to adulthood in a national U.S. sample: Variations by race/ethnicity, parent education, and gender.
