Childhood Sleep Disorders And Their Relationship With Emotional And Cognitive Development Outcomes

Abstract

Background: Childhood sleep disorders are receiving growing attention due to their potential influence on emotional well-being and cognitive development. Poor or disrupted sleep in childhood may interfere with learning, attention, memory and emotional regulation. Objective: To investigate the relationship between childhood sleep disorders and the emotional and cognitive development of children. Methodology: The study was a quantitative cross-sectional design involving 250 children aged 6–12 years. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, sleep assessment scales and developmental outcome measures. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression methods were used to analyze the data. Findings: The results showed that 38.4% of the participants had moderate to severe sleep disorders. Children with sleep disturbances had significantly higher emotional difficulty scores (Mean = 32.7, SD = 6.4) than children with normal sleep (Mean = 18.5, SD = 5.1). Children with sleep disorders showed lower cognitive performance scores (Mean = 68.9%) than children without sleep problems (Mean = 84.3%). There was a significant negative correlation between sleep quality and emotional difficulties (r = -0.58, p < 0.001), whereas sleep quality was positively correlated with cognitive outcomes (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Sleep disorders in childhood have a major impact on the development of emotions and cognition. Early detection and intervention could lead to better developmental outcomes and children’s well-being .