Sleep problems in school-aged children appear to be associated with depression but not with anxiety, reported Alice M. Gregory, Ph.D., of King's College of London, and her colleagues.
Their study of sleep problems in twins suggests that genetics also may play a role in these disorders. “Symptoms of depression in midchildhood are associated with a range of sleep difficulties, indicating that it may be useful to assess sleep difficulties in children who present with symptoms of depression and vice versa,” they said (Pediatrics 2006;118:1124–32).
The 300 twin pairs who participated in this study came from the Emotions, Cognitions, Hereditary, and Outcome (ECHO) study. The pairs had a mean age of 8 years, and there were more girls than boys (57% vs. 43%). Most families in the study were white (87%), and most parents in the study had completed education to at least age 18 years and were employed at the time of the study.
Children in the ECHO sample were screened for anxiety at age 8 using the Screen for Childhood Anxiety-Related Disorders. They were screened for depression with the Children's Depression Inventory. Parents reported on the sleep habits of their 8-year-olds with a version of the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire.
Self-reported depression indicators were greater in children with bedtime resistance, sleep-onset delay, sleep anxiety, and sleep parasomnia. Self-reported anxiety was higher in children with parent-related bedtime resistance than in those without this condition.