Predictors of Insomnia Among Adolescents a Longitudinal Study

Introduction: Insufficient sleep is a public health problem that can impact children’s’ and adolescents’ mental and physical health. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate whether sleep habits, sleep duration and family financial situation among school-aged girls and boys (age 6-10 years) can predict insomnia among female and male adolescents (age 14-16 years).

Materials and Methods: School-aged children (n = 522, 49.8% girls) in southern Sweden answered a questionnaire at baseline (age 9.4, SD 1.28 years) and at follow-up (age 14.3, SD 0.69). The survey consisted of questions about tiredness in school, problems waking up, sleep duration, sex, family financial situation and questions from the Minimal Insomnia Symptom Scale - Revised (MISS-R). Multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine whether tiredness at school, problems waking up, short sleep duration, gender, and family financial situation at baseline predicted insomnia at follow-up.

Results: Poor family financial situation (OR: 3.3) and short sleep duration (<10 hours, OR: 2.3) among girls at baseline was associated with insomnia at follow-up. Problems waking up among boys at baseline was associated with insomnia at follow-up (OR: 3.6).

Conclusions: Short sleep duration, problems waking up and poor family financial situation in childhood are linked with adolescent insomnia. However, these associations differ between girls and boys, and therefore need to be further investigated to understand adolescent insomnia.