Sleep Disturbance, Emotion Lability/Negativity, and Behavioral Difficulties in a Sample of Internationally Adopted Children

Abstract

Although internationally adopted children experience elevated sleep problems and psychosocial difficulties, little research has evaluated predictors and correlates of sleep issues in this population. The current study aims to address gaps in current research by examining associations between pre-adoptive risk, sleep disturbance, emotion lability/negativity, and internalizing and externalizing behavior in a sample of internationally adopted children. Parents completed questionnaires about the children’s (N = 109; M age = 7.9, SD = 1.5; 39.6% male, 60.4% female) history, behavior, and functioning. Results reveal that sleep difficulties and emotion lability/negativity later in childhood mediated the relation between pre-adoptive conditions and internalizing and externalizing behavior in a sample of internationally adopted children. Future studies of internationally adopted children are needed to continue exploring trajectories of sleep problems and other self-regulatory difficulties in this population.

Keywords:

• International adoption
• sleep
• emotion regulation

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the children and families who participated, Megan Gunnar, Bonny Donzella, Kristin Frenn, Shanna Mliner, Bao Moua, Maria Kroupina, the International Adoption Project, and the Center for Neurobehavioral Development.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Eva O. Miller Fellowship to Jamie M. Lawler and seed grants by the Center for Neurobehavioral Development and the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota.