The role of poor sleep on the development of self-control and antisocial behavior from adolescence to adulthood

Abstract

ObjectivesMuch remains unknown about the potential role of changes in poor sleep on the well-established association between changes in components of low self-control, such as impulsivity and sensation seeking, and antisocial behavior from adolescence to adulthood. MethodsA series of dynamic panel models with prospective data from a population-based sample of youth (n = 1922) are estimated to assess the moderating role of within-individual changes in poor sleep quality on within-individual changes in impulsivity, sensation seeking, and antisocial behavior from ages 16 to 27. ResultsThe relation between within-individual changes in sensation seeking and antisocial behavior from ages 16 to 27 increases when paired with poor sleep, but this same pattern was not observed for the relationship between impulsivity and antisocial behavior. Supplemental analyses reveal that changes in poor sleep are associated with changes in impulsivity and sensation seeking, suggesting a reciprocal dynamic between sleep and dimensions of self-control over time. ConclusionsWithin-individual increases in poor sleep strengthen the association between sensation seeking and antisocial behavior during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Additional evidence suggests that within-individual changes in sleep are also related to changes in impulsivity and sensation seeking during this transition.