Pharmacopsychiatry 2013; 46 - A68
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1353329

In pre-school children, sleep objectively assessed via sleep-EEGs remains stable over 12 months and is related to psychological functioning, but not to cortisol secretion

M Hatzinger 1, S Brand 2, S Perren 3, A von Wyl 4, K von Klitzing 5
  • 1Psychiatric Services Solothurn, Department of Adult Psychiatry, Solothurn, Switzerland
  • 2Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Switzerland
  • 3Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • 4Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • 5Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Leipzig, Germany

Objectives: Cross-sectional studies provide evidence that in pre-schoolers poor sleep is already associated with both poor psychological functioning and an increased cortisol secretion. However, long-term studies on the stability of sleep in pre-schoolers are scarce. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate objective sleep in pre-schoolers longitudinally, and to predict objective sleep, psychological functioning and cortisol secretion prospectively as a function of sleep 12 months earlier. Method: A total of 58 pre-schoolers (mean age: 5.43 years; 47% females) took part in a follow-up 12 months after initial assessment. Assessment included sleep-EEGs, psychological assessment, and cortisol secretion as a marker of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity under baseline and challenge conditions. Results: Longitudinally, poor objective sleep at age 5.4 years predicted poor objective sleep and psychological difficulties but not cortisol secretion 12 months later. Cross-sectionally, at the age of 6.4 years, poor sleep was associated with greater psychological difficulties and increased cortisol secretion. Conclusion: In pre-schoolers, objectively assessed poor sleep at the age of 5.4 years predicted poor sleep and psychological difficulties one year later. Data suggest that in pre-schoolers, sleep remains stable over a 12-months-period. Pre-schoolers with poor sleep appear to be at risk for developing further psychological difficulties. This study was supported by Swiss National Science Foundation.