Optimal sleeping behaviors are critical for overall development, yet some evidence suggests stress and living in a low-income environment are associated with disruptions of sleeping behaviors early in life. In this study, we investigated the association of toddler sleeping behaviors, particularly difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep (DIMS), and maternal and toddler prolonged stress using hair cortisol from dyads living in low-income homes. Hair cortisol was mainly sampled at the posterior vertex of mothers and toddlers (age 20–24 months) and analyzed with immunoassay (n = 94). Toddler DIMS were assessed at 15–19 and 27–31 months of age through mother-rated reports using the Tayside Children's Sleep Questionnaire. We found no associations between toddler DIMS and maternal stress. Additionally, early DIMS did not predict toddler stress. However, while controlling for early DIMS and sociodemographic factors, we found that higher toddler stress predicted greater DIMS in later toddlerhood (b = −2.28, SE = 0.98, p = .02, d_s = 0.64). These study findings highlight the importance of understanding the role of early life stress on later sleep patterns.

中文翻译：

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生活在低收入家庭的母婴二人组的睡眠和压力

最佳睡眠行为对整体发育至关重要，但一些证据表明，压力和生活在低收入环境中与生命早期睡眠行为的中断有关。在这项研究中，我们调查了幼儿睡眠行为的关联，特别是开始和/或维持睡眠的困难 (DIMS)，以及母亲和幼儿使用生活在低收入家庭的头发皮质醇的长期压力。主要在母亲和幼儿（年龄 20-24 个月）的后顶点采集头发皮质醇，并用免疫分析法（n = 94)。通过使用 Tayside 儿童睡眠问卷的母亲评级报告，在 15-19 个月和 27-31 个月大时对幼儿 DIMS 进行了评估。我们发现幼儿 DIMS 与母亲压力之间没有关联。此外，早期 DIMS 并不能预测幼儿的压力。然而，在控制早期 DIMS 和社会人口学因素的同时，我们发现更高的幼儿压力预示着更高的幼儿期 DIMS（b  = -2.28，SE  = 0.98，p  = .02，d _s  = 0.64）。这些研究结果强调了了解早期生活压力对后期睡眠模式的作用的重要性。