Waking the Nightmare: Understanding the Relationship Between Trauma and Sleep in Children

Abstract This study expands upon previous research investigating the impact of trauma on children’s sleep quality. We used objective measures through cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) to study sleep in children with trauma exposure. Participants completed a questionnaire which included the Pediatric ACEs (adverse childhood experience) and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS) or Adverse Childhood experience (ACE) questionnaire, Pediatric quality of life scale (PEDS-QL), the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and demographic information. Trauma was defined by endorsement of any items on the questionnaire related to trauma (PEARLS/ACE). Participants were under the age of 18 and divided into two groups: those who endorsed exposure to trauma (n = 33), and those who did not endorse traumatic experiences (n = 22). An Independent Sample T-Test found children exposed to trauma have reduced amounts of stable sleep and increased duration of REM sleep. A Mann-Whitney U-Test was utilized to study the differences between groups for variables that did not pass assumptions for the independent sample t-test. Results from the Mann-Whitney U Test found children exposed to trauma have a poorer quality of sleep, increased fragmented sleep, high amounts of unstable sleep, and a lower quality of life. A Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) controlled for age, body mass index (BMI) and the sleep device signal.