BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that stress impairs sleep quality. Few studies, however, have examined the extent to which early life stress can jeopardize sleep in adulthood. PURPOSE: Guided by a life course epidemiological perspective on health, this study examined associations between childhood abuse and adult sleep problems. METHODS: We used data from 835 respondents in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). Self-report measures assessed the frequency of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in childhood, as well as global and component indicators of sleep problems in adulthood. RESULTS: Having experienced all three types of childhood abuse-even infrequently-was associated with global sleep pathology, as well as specific types of sleep problems. Reports of both frequent physical and frequent emotional abuse-even in the absence of sexual abuse-were also associated with poor sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood abuse is a risk factor for individuals' long-term sleep problems.
BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that stress impairs sleep quality. Few studies, however, have examined the extent to which early life stress can jeopardize sleep in adulthood. PURPOSE: Guided by a life course epidemiological perspective on health, this study examined associations between childhood abuse and adult sleep problems. METHODS: We used data from 835 respondents in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). Self-report measures assessed the frequency of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in childhood, as well as global and component indicators of sleep problems in adulthood. RESULTS: Having experienced all three types of childhood abuse-even infrequently-was associated with global sleep pathology, as well as specific types of sleep problems. Reports of both frequent physical and frequent emotional abuse-even in the absence of sexual abuse-were also associated with poor sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood abuse is a risk factor for individuals' long-term sleep problems.
Authors: Kate B Nooner; Alan J Litrownik; Richard Thompson; Benyamin Margolis; Benjamin Margolis; Diana J English; Elizabeth D Knight; Mark D Everson; Scott Roesch Journal: Child Abuse Negl Date: 2010-03-05
Authors: Ryan C Brindle; Matthew R Cribbet; Laura B Samuelsson; Chenlu Gao; Ellen Frank; Robert T Krafty; Julian F Thayer; Daniel J Buysse; Martica H Hall Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2018 Feb/Mar Impact factor: 4.312