Sleep environment of preschool children effects on children's sleep disorder and parents’ mental health

Abstract

Introduction

In Korean culture, co-sleeping of parents and children are quite common, which is different from the Western culture where solitary sleeping of children is preferred. In this study, we evaluate the sleep environment factors that effect on children sleep disorder, and parent's parenting stress and mental health.

Methods

Surveys were conducted to 115 participating parents of preschool children sleeping behaviour lecture. Seventy-one completed surveys were analyzed for the study. The mean age of target children was 53 ± 23 months. Parents’ mental health was evaluated by using several forms such as Insomnia Severity Index, Korean-Parenting Stress Index short form, and The Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Children's sleeping environment and quality were assessed by Child Sleep Habit Questionnaire and Sleep environment survey.

Results

Pearson correlation analysis (P < 0.05) was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the sleep disorder of children, and the parent's parenting stress and mental health. Analyzing the data through the partial least square path modeling, co-sharing would have negative effect; bed-sharing could have negative effect on the depressing emotion of parents (P = 0.065). Solitary sleeping of children could have positive effect on parent's mental health (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Preschool children's sleeping disorder occurs more often in co-sleeping children with parents than solitary sleeping children. Parents’ parenting stress is related to the parent's age and depression, further related to the children sleeping disorder and their sleep environment. Although, it is difficult to generalize the exact cause, evaluation and improvement of children's sleep environment would help to reduce the parent's parenting stress.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.