P033 Associations between sleep and emotional self-regulation in toddlers

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Emotional self-regulation (ESR) skills are vital for mental and physical health. There is growing evidence linking sleep to ESR in school-aged children, but associations in toddlers remain unclear. The current study examined associations between toddlers’ sleep duration and behaviors and ESR. Materials and methods This study utilized baseline data from 1358 toddlers (Mage=26±3.9mo) from the Let’s Grow trial. Total sleep duration was calculated by summing parent-reported average nighttime sleep and daytime nap duration. Sleep behaviors (bedtime routine, bedtime resistance, sleep latency, and night waking) were assessed using the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire and Brief Infant Questionnaire. Toddlers’ ESR skills were assessed via a 4-item parent-report scale adopted from the Fast Track Project Child Behaviour Questionnaire, with a lower score indicating better ESR. Linear regression models assessed associations of sleep duration and behaviors with ESR. Results Toddlers’ average daily total sleep, nighttime sleep, and nap duration were 12.1h, 10.6h, and 1.5h, respectively. Girls and boys had similar nighttime sleep, total sleep, and ESR scores. However, girls had longer naps than boys (1.6h vs 1.4h, t=-3.5, p=0.0004). Total sleep, nighttime sleep, and nap duration were inversely associated with ESR (all p<0.01), indicating that higher sleep duration was associated with better ESR. Sleep behaviors were positively associated with ESR (all p<0.01), with more problem sleep behaviors associated with poorer ESR. Conclusion Initial results suggest that improving sleep duration and behaviors are associated with better ESR in toddlers. Supporting parents to improve their toddlers’ sleep may help foster better ESR skills.