Children who experience persistent shorter nighttime sleep duration throughout childhood may have a significantly increased risk for developing psychotic disorders and experiences by young adulthood, according to a new study.
The research, published in JAMA Psychiatry, based on data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, analyzed sleep patterns and psychosis outcomes in a cohort of 12,394 children followed from infancy to age 24 years. Using latent class growth analyses, the investigators identified a distinct group of 301 children (2.4%) characterized by persistently shorter nighttime sleep duration across childhood.
Compared to peers with normal sleep trajectories, the researchers found this group had 2.5 times higher odds of developing a psychotic disorder and 3.64 times higher odds of experiencing psychotic symptoms at age 24 years, even after adjusting for potential confounders.
The study also provided preliminary evidence for a potential biological mechanism involving inflammation. Elevated levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin-6 at age 9 years partially mediated the associations between persistent shorter sleep duration and later psychotic outcomes, suggesting a role for inflammatory processes.
While the effect sizes were modest, the longitudinal nature of the study and the robustness of the findings after controlling for various confounders, such as family adversity and neurodevelopmental disorders, lend strength to the conclusions, the researchers noted.
The results underscore the importance of adequate sleep during critical developmental periods, not just for general well-being but potentially for reducing the risk for severe mental health conditions, according to the study investigators.
However, the study had limitations, including the reliance on parent-reported sleep data, which may be subject to bias, and the predominantly White study population, which limits generalizability.
"Potential mechanisms linking short sleep duration in childhood with later psychosis are likewise unexplored," noted researchers. Future research should explore other potential mediating factors such as neuromaturation, cognition, and biological mechanisms, as well as inflammation.
Nevertheless, the findings add to the growing evidence linking disrupted sleep patterns in childhood to adverse long-term outcomes and "provides evidence to develop future targeted early interventions in children addressing both sleep duration and specific inflammatory levels, to prevent future adverse outcomes."
This study received funding support from the UK Medical Research Council and other institutions.
