STUDY OBJECTIVES We examined initial levels (intercepts) of sleep-wake problems in childhood and changes in sleep-wake problems across late childhood (slopes) as predictors of externalizing behavior problems, depressive symptoms, and anxiety in adolescence. To ascertain the unique effects of childhood sleep problems on adolescent mental health, we controlled for both childhood mental health and adolescent sleep problems. METHODS Participants were 199 youth (52% boys; 65% White/European American, 35% Black/African American). Sleep-wake problems (e.g., difficulty sleeping and waking up in the morning) were assessed during three time points in late childhood (ages 9, 10, 11) with self-reports on the well-established School Sleep Habits Survey. At age 18, multiple domains of mental health (externalizing behavior problems, depressive symptoms, anxiety) and sleep-wake problems were assessed. RESULTS Latent growth curve modeling revealed that children with higher levels of sleep-wake problems at age 9 had consistently higher levels of such problems between ages 9 and 11. The initial level of sleep-wake problems at age 9 predicted externalizing behaviors, depressive symptoms, and anxiety at age 18, controlling for mental health in childhood and concurrent sleep-wake problems in adolescence. The slope of sleep-wake problems from ages 9 to 11 did not predict age 18 mental health. CONCLUSIONS Youth who had higher sleep-wake problems during late childhood had higher levels of mental health problems in adolescence even after controlling for childhood mental health and concurrent sleep-wake problems. Findings illustrate that childhood sleep problems may persist and predict adolescent mental health even when potentially confounding variables are rigorously controlled.

中文翻译：

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儿童睡眠问题的轨迹：与青春期心理健康的关联

研究目标 我们检查了儿童期睡眠-觉醒问题的初始水平（截距）和儿童晚期（斜率）睡眠-觉醒问题的变化，作为青春期外化行为问题、抑郁症状和焦虑的预测指标。为了确定儿童睡眠问题对青少年心理健康的独特影响，我们控制了儿童心理健康和青少年睡眠问题。方法 参与者是 199 名青年（52% 男孩；65% 白人/欧洲裔美国人，35% 黑人/非裔美国人）。在儿童晚期（9、10、11 岁）的三个时间点，通过完善的学校睡眠习惯调查的自我报告来评估睡眠-觉醒问题（例如，难以入睡和早上醒来）。18 岁时，心理健康的多个领域（外化行为问题、抑郁症状、焦虑）和睡眠觉醒问题进行了评估。结果 潜在生长曲线模型显示，在 9 岁时睡眠-觉醒问题水平较高的儿童在 9 至 11 岁期间此类问题的水平始终较高。 9 岁时睡眠-觉醒问题的初始水平预测了外化行为、抑郁症状、和 18 岁时的焦虑，控制儿童时期的心理健康和青春期并发的睡眠-觉醒问题。从 9 岁到 11 岁的睡眠-觉醒问题的斜率并不能预测 18 岁的心理健康。结论 即使在控制了儿童期心理健康和并发的睡眠-觉醒问题之后，在童年晚期有较高睡眠-觉醒问题的青少年在青春期的心理健康问题水平也更高。