Published online January 3, 2005
PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 1 January 2005, pp. 225-232 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2004-0815D)

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Crosby, B. Articles by Harsh, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Crosby, B. Articles by Harsh, J. Related Collections Office Practice Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE

Racial Differences in Reported Napping and Nocturnal Sleep in 2- to 8-Year-Old Children

Brian Crosby, BA^*, Monique K. LeBourgeois, PhD and John Harsh, PhD^*

^* Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, E. P. Bradley Hospital/Brown Medical School Sleep and Chronobiology Research Laboratory, Providence, Rhode Island

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to examine racial differences in reported napping and nighttime sleep of 2- to 8-year-old children, to identify factors accounting for these differences, and to determine if variability in napping was related to psychosocial functioning.

Methods. Caretakers of 1043 children (73.5% non-Hispanic white; 50.4% male) 2 to 8 years old from a community sample reported on their children's napping behavior and nighttime sleep. Caretakers of 255 preschool children (3-5 years old) also completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children.

Results. A more gradual age-related decline in napping was found for black children. At age 8, 39.1% of black children were reported to nap, compared with only 4.9% of white children. Black children also napped significantly more days per week, had shorter average nocturnal sleep durations, and slept significantly less on weekdays than on weekend nights. Despite differences in sleep distribution, total weekly sleep duration (diurnal and nocturnal) was nearly identical for the 2 racial groups at each year of age. Logistic regression analysis revealed that demographic variables were related to but did not fully explain napping differences. Napping in a subset of preschoolers was not significantly related to psychosocial functioning.

Conclusions. There are remarkable racial differences in reported napping and nighttime sleep patterns beginning as early as age 3 and extending to at least 8 years of age. These differences are independent of commonly investigated demographic factors. Differences in napping behavior do not seem to have psychosocial significance in a sample of preschool children.

---

Key Words: racial differences • napping • sleep • children • psychosocial functioning

Abbreviations: BASC, Behavioral Assessment System for Children • SES, socioeconomic status

---

Accepted Aug 5, 2004.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. M. Ward, C. Gay, T. F. Anders, A. Alkon, and K. A. Lee Sleep and Napping Patterns in 3-to-5-year old Children Attending Full-Day Childcare Centers J. Pediatr. Psychol., July 1, 2008; 33(6): 666 - 672. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. J. Fortunato, M. K. LeBourgeois, and J. Harsh Development of a Five-Dimensional Measure of Adult Sleep Quality Educational and Psychological Measurement, June 1, 2008; 68(3): 488 - 514. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. M. Ward, C. Gay, A. Alkon, T. F. Anders, and K. A. Lee Nocturnal Sleep and Daytime Nap Behaviors in Relation to Salivary Cortisol Levels and Temperament in Preschool-Age Children Attending Child Care Biol Res Nurs, January 1, 2008; 9(3): 244 - 253. [Abstract] [PDF]