The association between sleep disturbances of children with anxiety disorders and those of their mothers

A systematic review of sleep problems in children and adolescents with obsessive compulsive disorder

There is growing interest in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and sleep problems in youth, including the development of a theoretical model proposing how these disorders maintain each other. The model suggests that OCD symptoms are proposed to interfere with sleep duration (e.g., via increased arousal and delayed bedtime), which compounds OCD symptom severity during the daytime and into the evening, feeding back into the model. Whether the recent influx of research on sleep problems in youth with OCD supports this model is unknown. The primary aim of this systematic review was to characterize sleep problems in youth with OCD and evaluate whether current research supports previous theoretical inferences. Findings across 20 studies revealed a high prevalence of sleep problems among youth with OCD and support a bidirectional relationship. Studies largely did not assess hypothesized relationships proposed by the model; support for the model is therefore preliminary. A secondary aim was to assess the impacts of comorbidity and developmental stage. Findings suggest that in childhood, comorbid anxiety disorders may initially predate sleep problems, but they become mutually maintained over time; the role of comorbid depression appears to increase with age. Limitations, future directions, and clinical implications are discussed.

The Interaction between Lockdown-Specific Conditions and Family-Specific Variables Explains the Presence of Child Insomnia during COVID-19: A Key Response to the Current Debate

It is still debated whether lockdown conditions in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis seriously affected children’s sleep. For young children, some studies identified more insomnia, while others only transient disturbances, or even no effect. Based on the premise of mother–child synchrony, a well-known dynamic established in child development research, we hypothesized that principally, the children whose mothers perceived the lockdown as stressful and/or responded maladaptively, suffered sleep disturbances. The main objective of this study was to identify the family profiles, variables, and lockdown responses most linked to insomnia in young children. The sample consisted of 165 mothers, French vs. Swiss origin (accounting for different lockdown severities), of children 6 months to 5 years old. Validated sleep, stress, and behavior scales were used. Multiple regression, age-matched clustering, and structural equation modeling analyses provided evidence that insomnia in young children is indeed strongly linked to the mother’s reaction to the pandemic and lockdown. Specifically, reactions such as COVID-19 fear/anxiety and obsessive COVID-19 information seeking coincide with heightened vigilance, cascading into reduced child social contact, outings, and increased screen viewing, ultimately culminating in child insomnia and behavioral problems. Mother education level and child day care quality (e.g., home-schooling) were also identified as strong insomnia predictors.

The onset of sleep disturbances and their associations with anxiety after acute high-altitude exposure at 3700 m

Sleep disturbances and psychiatric repercussions pose great challenges at high altitude; however, few studies have investigated sleep disturbance and anxiety profiles and their associations after acute exposure in consecutive patients. Thus, we aimed to study the profiles of sleep disturbances in consecutive patients after high-altitude exposure and the association of such disturbances with anxiety. A total of 668 participants were recruited at sea level and 3700 m. The trials were performed at sea level (1 week prior to a 2-h flight to a high-altitude destination) and at 3700 m (24, 72, and 168 h). Sleep disturbances were assessed by self-reported sleep patterns and scores on the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). State anxiety was assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). In our study, the incidence of sleep disturbances increased significantly after acute high-altitude exposure (65.3%, 434/668) and then gradually decreased after 72 h (50%, 141/282) and 168 h (44%, 124/282). The sleep assessments AIS [2.0 (4.0) vs. 4.0 (5.0)] and ESS [4.0 (4.0) vs. 5.0 (5.0)] increased significantly (p < 0.05). Also, the SAS increased significantly from 26.25 (3.75) to 28.75 (7.5). The SAS was significantly high in sleep disturbance group [31.25 (7.5) vs. 27.5 (5), p < 0.001] than in the non-sleep- disturbance group. The baseline SAS and AIS scores were significantly higher in participants with sleep disturbances than in those without (p < 0.01). Age, baseline insomnia, sleepiness, fatigue, and higher SAS were predictors of sleep disturbances in univariate regression (all p values < 0.05). However, only an older age (p = 0.045) and a higher baseline SAS (p = 0.018) remained independent predictors of sleep disturbances. Our findings indicated that acute high-altitude exposure triggers the onset of sleep disturbances, which are closely associated with anxiety. Furthermore, baseline state anxiety and age are independent predictors of sleep disturbances at high altitude.

Review: Schlafprobleme und psychische Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter

Zusammenfassung. Schlafprobleme und -störungen sind in Kindheit und Jugendalter weitverbreitet. Dieser Review beleuchtet den Zusammenhang zwischen Schlafproblemen und psychischen Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Schlafprobleme und -störungen gelten zum einen als Risikofaktoren für die Entwicklung psychischer Störungen, aber auch als Symptom und Auswirkung psychischer Störungen. Oft stehen Schlafverhalten und Psychopathologie in einer Wechselwirkung, sodass Schlafprobleme zur Intensität und Aufrechterhaltung psychischer Störungen beitragen. Dieser bidirektionale Zusammenhang ist sowohl in der frühen Kindheit als auch im Schulalter und bei Jugendlichen zu beobachten. Viele Studien konnten zeigen, dass es einen langfristigen Zusammenhang über die kindliche Entwicklung hinweg gibt. Sowohl Umweltfaktoren als auch genetische Faktoren scheinen bei der Entwicklung und Aufrechterhaltung dieses Zusammenhangs eine Rolle zu spielen. Diverse Forschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass die Behandlung von psychischen Störungen und die Behandlung von Schlafproblemen sich wechselseitig positiv beeinflussen. Daher ist die Berücksichtigung von Schlafproblemen in der Diagnostik und Behandlung, aber auch in der Prävention von psychischen Störungen dringend anzuraten.