The research results of Zhang Ling-yin (middle), associate professor at the School of Public Health at National Taiwan University, were published in an international journal. The content mentioned: The relationship between adversity and shorter sleep hours is more obvious in boys aged 3 to 8 years old. (Provided by NTU Public Health)
Children sleeping less or exhibiting aggressive behavior during adolescence may be related to early family experiences. Zhang Ling-yin, associate professor at the School of Public Health at National Taiwan University, and her research team found through two long-term follow-up studies that childhood adversity is related to children's shorter sleep hours; among boys, the experience of family dysfunction in childhood is also related to more aggressive behavior in late adolescence. The two results were published in "Academic Pediatrics" and "European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry" respectively. The research reminds us that when understanding children's sleep, emotions and behavior, we also need to pay attention to their growth experience.
The research team used Taiwan's birth generation research data, which focused on babies born in 2005, to complete two analyses. One study tracked the sleep of 16,666 children from 6 months to 12 years old, and explored childhood adversities including family disability (such as parents suffering from mental illness or prison, not living with parents stably, etc.) and experiences such as peer bullying; another tracked 7,800 adolescents to 17 to 18 years old to explore the relationship between family disability and aggressive behavior. Through long-term tracking, we can understand how these experiences are connected to children's subsequent health and behavior at different stages of growth.
In terms of sleep, the study found that the association between adversity and shorter sleep hours was more pronounced among children aged 3 to 8 years old and among boys. Research has also found that higher resilience is often associated with longer sleep hours, but this layer of protection weakens when faced with adversity. Zhang Lingyin said that while a child's resilience is important, the growth environment is equally critical. Enhancing the child's resilience alone may not be enough. It is also necessary to reduce the adversity experienced by the child at the same time, such as supporting the physical and mental health of caregivers and preventing children from peer violence in school or in life.
In terms of aggressive behavior, the study found that boys experiencing family disability in middle childhood at the age of 5 and a half, as well as the accumulation of these experiences at different stages of childhood, are related to more aggressive behavior in late adolescence. Depressive symptoms at the age of 12 may be part of the psychological process that connects the two, accounting for about 20 to 30% of the correlation. Therefore, when a child exhibits aggressive behavior, in addition to dealing with the immediate behavior, you should also understand whether he is emotionally distressed and whether the family is facing difficulties.
The research team recommends that from preschool to early elementary school, attention should be paid to children's sleep and family situations, and emotional and behavioral assessments should be included in children's health services. School, medical and social welfare personnel can use a trauma-informed approach to understand children's reactions and past experiences, provide assistance according to individual needs, and allow support to continue into adolescence. The research hopes to allow children and families in need to receive help earlier and avoid being labeled based on family background or behavioral performance.
Research has found that children sleeping less or exhibiting aggressive behavior in adolescence may be related to early family experiences. Schematic diagram, the characters in the picture have nothing to do with the news. (Picture taken from shutterstock)
