1000 SELF-REPORTED SLEEP AND PEER ACCEPTANCE, REJECTION AND BULLYING FOR CHILDREN RAISED BY GRANDMOTHERS

Abstract

One in 11 of all children and 1 in 5 African American children live with a grandparent at some point before the age of 18. Research suggests that children living with grandparents have a higher rate of psychosocial impairments than average children (28–31% vs. 12%) associated with troubled sleep. Peer relationships, especially for children who are raised by non-parental caregivers, can be a source of important social support and protective factor. This study will examine how sleep quality and duration are related to peer acceptance, peer rejection and being bullied. KIN Tech RCT twelve month follow up caregiver self-report data examined for sleep duration, quality and peer acceptance, rejection and bullying for 1100 children raised by grandmothers. The MacArthur Health and Behavior Questionnaire was used to assess relationship with peers. Short sleep(<6 hrs) and long sleep(>8 hrs) were coded and univariate, bivariate and ANOVAs were conducted. 1100 grandmothers raising grandchildren from low SES households (mean=$23,000), middle-aged (m=48), single (70%), African American (47%) caring for multiple relative children (65% caring for more than one child). Mean total sleep time is 7.47 (sd=1.69). Caregivers rated 71% (n=782) of children experience troubled sleep and inadequate sleep;23% (n=249) short sleepers and 48% (n=525) long sleepers. Furthermore, 59% (n=650) of children are being frequently rejected by peers and 55% bullied (n=605). Troubled sleepers were more likely to be rejected by peers [F(3, 1095)=121.66, p=.001] and bullied [F(3, 1095)=221.32, p=.001]. Short sleepers were more likely to be rejected by peers [F(1, 1098)=80.17, p=.000] and bullied [F(1, 1098)=7.70, p=.001]. Long sleepers were more likely to be accepted by peers [F(1, 1098)=13.92, p=<.001] and bullied [F(1, 1098)=19.73, p=.001]. This research suggests that children living with grandparents with troubled and short sleep are more likely to experience rejection by peers and bullying. While growing evidence indicates a bidirectional relationship between psychopathology and sleep, more research is needed to better understand this relationship, especially to sleep, to inform the development of tailored interventions for grandparents to promote healthy sleep for children. Grant #: HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CF-0510 (90CF0050).