Sleep restriction impairs emotional self-regulation in toddlers, with randomized-trial evidence of moderate-to-large effects¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q2–q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Two randomized cross-over trials showed better self-regulation and emotional responses in routine-sleep versus sleep-restriction conditions, with printed effect sizes d = 0.50 to 0.92. → Chaput JP 2017 q2 i? Observational evidence is inconsistent: 8 of 17 cross-sectional studies linked shorter sleep to poorer emotional regulation, 7 were null and 2 opposite. → Chaput JP 2017 (2)

Evidence¶

Chaput JP 2017¶

Chaput JP, Gray CE, Poitras VJ, Carson V, Gruber R, Birken CS, MacLean JE, Aubert S, Sampson M, Tremblay MS. (2017). Systematic review of the relationships between sleep duration and health indicators in the early years (0–4 years). BMC Public Health 17(Suppl 5):855. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4850-2

q3 · i2 · review · r3

Two randomized cross-over trials (combined n = 22 per Table 2) of nap deprivation in toddlers; GRADE quality "high". Printed effects include "d = 0.77", "d = 0.92" and "d = 0.68" on self-regulation strategies.

"Nap deprivation resulted in moderate-to-large effects on self-regulation strategies, with decreases in skepticism (d = 0.77; 7% change), negative self-appraisal (d = 0.92; 5% change) and increases in physical self-soothing (d = 0.68; 10% change)"

Chaput JP 2017 (2)¶

Chaput JP, Gray CE, Poitras VJ, Carson V, Gruber R, Birken CS, MacLean JE, Aubert S, Sampson M, Tremblay MS. (2017). Systematic review of the relationships between sleep duration and health indicators in the early years (0–4 years). BMC Public Health 17(Suppl 5):855. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4850-2

q2 · i? · review · r3

Narrative synthesis of 17 cross-sectional analyses (16,536 participants); GRADE downgraded to "very low" for "serious inconsistency in the findings". No effect sizes printed.

"Out of 17 cross-sectional analyses, 8 reported that shorter sleep duration was associated with poorer emotional regulation [50– 57], 7 reported null findings [38, 49, 58– 62], and 2 reported opposite associations [ 63, 64]."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Evidence linking massage to early childhood sleep is mixed: null in a meta-analysis of infants ages 0-6 mo but positive in small studies of older infants, toddlers, and preschoolers — related
• Children in the earlier, longer, consistent sleep health class showed greater emotion regulation and assertiveness than peers in the later, shorter, inconsistent class after covariate adjustment — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Sleepy behaviors (eyes closed, head down) showed medium-sized but non-significant effects of sleep restriction — related
• Children in the earlier, longer, consistent sleep health class scored higher on expressive vocabulary than peers in the later, shorter, inconsistent class after covariate adjustment — related
• Sleep deprivation is associated with reduced psychomotor vigilance, impaired reaction time, and greater perceived workload and stress in astronauts — related
• Evidence on sleep duration and cognitive development in children aged 0–4 years is mixed, with no consistent association — related