Associations of preschool reactive bed-sharing with sociodemographic factors, sleep disturbance, and psychopathology

• Main Authors: Susan E. Marakovitz (Author), R. Christopher Sheldrick (Author), William E. Copeland (Author), Bibiana Restrepo (Author), Ingrid Hastedt (Author), Kimberly L.H. Carpenter (Author), Ellen W. McGinnis (Author), Helen L. Egger (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1186/s13034-023-00607-w; 1753-2000
• Keywords: Bed-sharing; Prevalence; Preschool; Sleep problems; Anxiety; Disruptive behavior; Pediatrics; RJ1-570; Psychiatry; RC435-571
• Source: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2023)

Abstract Objective To advance understanding of early childhood bed-sharing and its clinical significance, we examined reactive bed-sharing rates, sociodemographic correlates, persistence, and concurrent and longitudinal associations with sleep disturbances and psychopathology. Methods Data from a representative cohort of 917 children (mean age 3.8 years) recruited from primary pediatric clinics in a Southeastern city for a preschool anxiety study were used. Sociodemographics and diagnostic classifications for sleep disturbances and psychopathology were obtained using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA), a structured diagnostic interview administered to caregivers. A subsample of 187 children was re-assessed approximately 24.7 months after the initial PAPA interview. Results Reactive bed-sharing was reported by 38.4% of parents, 22.9% nightly and 15.5% weekly, and declined with age. At follow-up, 48.9% of nightly bed-sharers and 88.7% of weekly bed-sharers were no longer bed-sharing. Sociodemographics associated with nightly bed-sharing were Black and (combined) American Indian, Alaska Native and Asian race and ethnicity, low income and parent education less than high school. Concurrently, bed-sharing nightly was associated with separation anxiety and sleep terrors; bed-sharing weekly was associated with sleep terrors and difficulty staying asleep. No longitudinal associations were found between reactive bed-sharing and sleep disturbances or psychopathology after controlling for sociodemographics, baseline status of the outcome and time between interviews. Conclusions Reactive bed-sharing is relatively common among preschoolers, varies significantly by sociodemographic factors, declines during the preschool years and is more persistent among nightly than weekly bed-sharers. Reactive bed-sharing may be an indicator of sleep disturbances and/or anxiety but there is no evidence that bed-sharing is an antecedent or consequence of sleep disturbances or psychopathology.