Abstract
Objectives
Attending center-based childcare has been linked to shorter nighttime sleep in children.
However, relatively little attention has been paid to the role of complexity and transition
of childcare arrangements on children's sleep. This study used prospective, nationally
representative data to estimate the associations between complex childcare experiences
and sleep outcomes during infancy and toddlerhood.
Design
Prospective longitudinal study.
Setting
This study used 9-month (n = 3921) and 2.5-year-old (n = 3412) data from the Longitudinal
Study of Australian Children. The 2-wave longitudinal sample included 3046 children.
Intervention
Not applicable.
Measurements
Complex childcare experiences were measured by time spent in center, relative, and
nonrelative childcare; use of multiple childcare arrangements; and patterns of childcare
use over the 2-wave period. Sleep outcomes included maternal reports of weekday and
weekend nighttime sleep duration, difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the
night, and restless sleeping of the child.
Results
Cross-sectional analysis showed that, in addition to center childcare, hours spent
in relative and nonrelative childcare were negatively associated with weekday nighttime
sleep duration but not weekend nighttime sleep duration. Multiple childcare arrangements
were not associated with worse sleep outcomes. Longitudinal analysis showed that the
association between child age and nighttime sleep duration was moderated by patterns
of childcare use. Late attenders and children who used childcare for 2 waves but changed
configuration had smaller increase of nighttime sleep duration.
Conclusions
In addition to center childcare, noncenter childcare may be an influential factor
for children's nighttime sleep. Longitudinal patterns of childcare use can moderate
children's developmental trajectories of nighttime sleep.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 10, 2017
Accepted:
July 12,
2017
Received in revised form:
June 22,
2017
Received:
July 10,
2016
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
