Abstract(s)
Sleep plays an important role in many aspects of children’s development. Research on children’s
sleep and their peer relationships has begun to emerge in the last years. However, these studies
are mostly cross-sectional. The current study aimed to investigate the associations between infant
sleep and peer relationships in middle childhood. The sample comprised 72 children. Sleep was
measured at 1 year using a sleep diary completed by mothers. In the second and third grades of
elementary school (7 and 8 years of age), mothers and fathers reported on their children’s
functioning with peers. When they were in third grade, children were interviewed regarding their
friendship quality with a best friend. Results revealed negative associations between children’s
sleep consolidation (i.e., ratio of nighttime sleep) and parent-reported peer problems, and
positive associations between sleep consolidation and perceived friendship quality. These
findings suggest that well-regulated sleep in infancy may help children develop the skills
necessary for later appropriate social functioning in peer contexts.