Childhood Abuse as a Risk Factor for Sleep Problems in Adulthood: Evidence from a U.S. National Study

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.