Exposure to parental interpartner conflict in adolescence predicts sleep problems in emerging adulthood

Objectives

Parental interpartner conflict is a highly prevalent form of family risk that is stressful for adolescents with ramifications for their sleep. Multiple studies have demonstrated that adolescents from high-conflict homes are at risk for sleep problems. Building on this literature, we conducted novel analyses and investigated whether exposure to interpartner conflict in adolescence predicts sleep problems in the subsequent developmental period of emerging adulthood.

Methods

We used a rigorous four-wave design spanning 8 years (collected between 2012-2020). At wave 1, participants were 245 adolescents from diverse backgrounds (M age = 15.74 years; 67% White/European American, 33% Black/African American; 52% girls). Individuals participated again in their adolescence at wave 2 (M age = 16.77) and wave 3 (M age = 17.69). Participants returned for wave 4 in emerging adulthood (M age = 22.97). Adolescents reported on their parents’ interpartner conflict (intense and frequent conflict). Sleep duration (minutes) and quality (efficiency, long wake episodes) were measured using actigraphy.

Results

After controlling for autoregressive effects and several covariates, findings from a structural equation model revealed that greater exposure to parental interpartner conflict in adolescence predicted reduced sleep efficiency and more long wake episodes in emerging adulthood.

Conclusions

Results build on the literature to consider sleep in the family context and are among the first to illustrate that exposure to parental interpartner conflict in adolescence predicts sleep problems in emerging adulthood. Continued investigations into the antecedents of sleep problems in emerging adulthood may benefit from considering past exposure to family risk.