Objective: To assess the association of objective measures of sleep-wake patterns and psychological status and abuse history of children hospitalized in a psychiatric inpatient unit.
Method: Thirty-nine inpatient children participated in the study. They were monitored for one to three consecutive nights with miniature wrist activity monitors for objective assessment of sleep-wake patterns. In addition, a thorough psychiatric and psychosocial assessment was completed with each child and the parents.
Results: Children's self-ratings of depression, hopelessness, and low self-esteem were significantly correlated with objective sleep measures indicating poorer sleep quality. No significant correlations between intelligence scores and sleep measures were found. Nonabused and sexually abused children had better sleep quality than physically abused children.
Conclusions: Sleep quality during hospitalization is strongly associated with self experiences of depression, hopelessness, and low self-esteem in children with severe behavior disorders.