Daily associations between family interaction quality, stress, and objective sleep in adolescents

Abstract

ObjectiveTo better understand the short-term impact of family interactions on adolescent sleep, this study examined daily associations between family interaction quality and sleep duration, sleep maintenance efficiency, and subjective sleep quality. MethodsParticipants were 517 diverse youth (Mage = 15.4 years, Range = 15-18) in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study who completed daily reports of family interaction quality, mood and subjective sleep quality and provided actigraphy-based estimates of sleep duration and sleep maintenance efficiency. ResultsFollowing days when youth reported that they got along with their parents, they slept 26 minutes (95% CI [2.93, 49.88]) longer. Youth who reported greater quality interactions with other family members on average had longer sleep duration, and youth who reported higher levels of family stress perceived lower sleep quality. ConclusionsFindings highlight the importance of considering daily family life, including the quality of brief family interactions, as an entry point for future sleep interventions for adolescents.