Sleepless: The Developmental Significance of Sleep Quality and Quantity Among Adolescents

Alexander T. Vazsonyi, Dan Liu, Magda Javakhishvili, Julia J. Beier, Marek Blatny

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current study tested the developmental significance of both early adolescent sleep quantity and quality for academic competence and internalizing and externalizing problems over the course of 2 years. As part of an accelerated longitudinal study, data were collected from N = 586 Czech adolescents (Mage = 12.34 years, SD =.89, 58.4% female). Data analyses included a series of logistic regressions that controlled for adolescent sex, age, family structure, and socioeconomic status. Findings showed that sleep quality at Wave 1 predicted developmental changes 1 year later (Wave 3) in depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem (ORrange = 1.7–1.8) and 2 years later (Wave 5) in externalizing behaviors (OR = 2.6). Importantly, despite the associations observed with Wave 3 anxiety and deviance, Wave 1 sleep quantity was unrelated to subsequent developmental changes in adjustment measures, both 1 and 2 years later. No sleep effects at all were observed on a variety of measures of academic competence. Study findings underscore the developmental significance of sleep and indicate greater salience of sleep quality vis-à-vis sleep quantity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1018-1024
Number of pages7
JournalDevelopmental Psychology
Volume57
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Psychological Association

Keywords

  • Bullying
  • Depression
  • Externalizing
  • Grades
  • Internalizing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Demography
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

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