Sleep Disorders in Children and Parents Increase Parental Stress

FRIDAY, Jan. 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Stress is higher among adults with sleep disorders and whose children have sleep disorders, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in PLOS ONE.

Ray M. Merrill, M.P.H., Ph.D., and Kayla R. Slavik, both from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, assessed whether child sleep disorders positively correlate with parental sleep disorders (insomnia, hypersomnia, and sleep apnea) and parental stress. The analysis included data from 14,009 adult employees (aged 18 to 64 years) with dependent children (44,157 children).

The researchers found that the rate of parental stress was 3.00 times greater for those with insomnia and 1.88 times greater for those with sleep apnea. There was no increased risk for stress observed for those with hypersomnia. Employee insomnia was 111 percent greater if their child had a sleep disorder, while employee sleep apnea was 115 percent greater if their child had a sleep disorder. With increasing employee age, the association between child sleep disorders and sleep apnea decreased. If their child had a sleep disorder, the rate of employee stress was 90 percent greater. Similarly, employee stress was 189 percent greater if their child had insomnia and 81 percent greater if their child had sleep apnea. The association between insomnia and stress and sleep apnea and stress was greater for women.

“Better understanding the connection between parent and child sleep quality and parent stress, and modifying influences, may help improve treatment and lower the risk of these disorders,” the authors write.

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