Background: The present study aimed to examine the interconnections between chronotype, sleep quality, alcohol consumption and mental health, and the role of sex (male and female) on these...Show moreBackground: The present study aimed to examine the interconnections between chronotype, sleep quality, alcohol consumption and mental health, and the role of sex (male and female) on these connections. Previous studies have shown that evening chronotype is connected to poorer sleep quality, higher alcohol consumption and worse mental health. Yet, there is limited research on the interactions between all these variables and on the role of sex differences. The current study hypothesized the mediating role of alcohol between sleep and mental health, and the moderating role of sex and mental health. Methods: Quantitative data of a big participant sample (N=2165) from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) was used. Participants derived from various settings and represented both healthy and clinical groups. Self-report measures were used, and mediation and moderation analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. Results: Alcohol was not found to mediate the relationship between sleep and mental health. Sex differences were found in anxiety and alcohol consumption, with women scoring higher in both. Sex also acted as a moderator between sleep quality and depression, and sleep quality and anxiety. Mental health status was found to affect chronotype and sleep quality, with healthy individuals being morning chronotypes more frequently and reporting higher sleep quality. Conclusions: The results of the current study contribute to our understanding of the interactions between sleep, alcohol and mental health, underlining the role of sex and mental health. This knowledge can be used in designing more personalized and multidimensional treatments, improving the quality of psychological care.Show less
This study investigates the effectiveness of the 'i-Sleep & BioClock' digital cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention in reducing insomnia severity and anxiety symptoms among university...Show moreThis study investigates the effectiveness of the 'i-Sleep & BioClock' digital cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention in reducing insomnia severity and anxiety symptoms among university students with self-reported sleep problems. Utilizing a Single-Arm Open Pilot Trial design, 216 participants from Dutch universities, aged ≥ 16 years were included. Participants followed the intervention over five weeks and 64 participants answered the post-test questionnaire in week 7. Standardized questionnaires assessed insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale), and chronotype (Munich Chronotype Questionnaire) at baseline and post-intervention. Results indicate significant reductions in insomnia severity and anxiety symptoms from baseline to post-intervention, with large and small to moderate effect sizes, respectively. Although the moderating role of chronotype was nonsignificant, findings suggest that individuals with intermediate chronotypes experienced the most significant change in insomnia symptoms. Limitations include the absence of a control group and a notable dropout rate. This study underscores the promising efficacy of digital interventions for addressing sleep and anxiety issues among university students, advocating for further research to optimize intervention strategies and enhance treatment outcomes.Show less
This study focussed on the relationship between sleep duration, chronotype and short term memory and working memory in elementary school children between the ages of 9 and 11 years old (n = 606)....Show moreThis study focussed on the relationship between sleep duration, chronotype and short term memory and working memory in elementary school children between the ages of 9 and 11 years old (n = 606). Since sleep duration has a well-researched relationship with memory types and with chronotype, and chronotype influences sleep patterns and memory consolidation, the question arises if chronotype acts as a moderator in the relationship between sleep duration and short term memory or working memory. Parents of the children were asked to log the sleep duration of the children for an entire week. During this week, the CCTQ, a questionnaire about chronotype was completed. At the end of the week, a student researcher sat down with the participants to complete a version of the digit span subtest, normally used in the WISC-III and a word pairing test. Using ANOVA’s and moderation analysis it was found that chronotype does not moderate the relationship between sleep duration and either short term memory or working memory. In contrast to popular belief, this study showed a negative relationship between sleep duration and both short term and the working memory. Additionally, it was found that children with a more evening focussed chronotype slept the shortest amount of time and scored significantly higher on short term memory tasks. An explanation for these results is given in the final section of the paper. At these ages, sleep is important for predicting learning capabilities, but not predominant at that. Parents could consider these results when contemplating about a sleep schedule fitted to their child’s needs.Show less
Background. Chronotype influences both sleep characteristics and behavior. Evening oriented children are more at risk to develop behavioral problems compared to morning oriented children....Show moreBackground. Chronotype influences both sleep characteristics and behavior. Evening oriented children are more at risk to develop behavioral problems compared to morning oriented children. Insufficient sleep is common during childhood and can lead to behavioral problems. However, the association of sleep duration, chronotype and behavioral problems remains unclear, especially in children. Therefore, the current study examined the degree to which sleep duration acts as a mediator of the influence of chronotype on behavioral problems in Dutch non-clinical 9-11 year old children. Method. The sample consisted 483 children, 219 boys and 264 girls, with a mean age of 10.49 year old. Sleep duration was assessed with sleep diaries. Chronotype was measured using Children´s Chronotype Questionnaire (CCTQ) and behavioral problems were assessed with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results. Regression analyses showed chronotype was a significant predictor of sleep duration (= -.10, p = .035), externalizing ( = .10, p = .030), but not internalizing behavioral problems (= .04, p = .410). Sleep duration was not significantly related to internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. Furthermore, sleep duration did not act as a mediator between chronotype and internalizing (= .01, p = .900) or externalizing behavioral problems (= -.01, p = .869). Conclusions. Evening orientated children are more at risk to develop externalizing behavioral problems, which may lead to psychopathology and poor school performances. Short sleep is associated with eveningness and increased externalizing behavioral problems. Yet, sleep duration did not mediate the influence of chronotype on behavioral problems. Eveningness is identified as a possible risk factor. Early intervention to shift chronotype orientation to morningness or the use of flexible school times adjusted to optimal sleep-wake patterns might prevent problems later in life. More research is needed to provide understanding how the relation between sleep duration, chronotype and behavioral problems develops.Show less
De voorkeur voor een bepaalde slaapwaak tijd en het doen van een activiteit op een bepaald tijdstip wordt het ‘chronotype’ genoemd. In dit onderzoek is gekeken of kinderen van het ochtend- en...Show moreDe voorkeur voor een bepaalde slaapwaak tijd en het doen van een activiteit op een bepaald tijdstip wordt het ‘chronotype’ genoemd. In dit onderzoek is gekeken of kinderen van het ochtend- en avondchronotype in hun cognitieve prestaties van elkaar verschillen bij afname van neurocognitieve tests in de vroege ochtend (8.30 uur). De ouders van basisschoolkinderen vulden een vragenlijst over het chronotype van hun kind in. Op basis van het chronotype werden 114 kinderen in de leeftijd van zeven tot en met twaalf jaar geselecteerd voor neurocognitieve testing op psychometrische snelheid, gerichte aandacht en werkgeheugen, volgehouden aandacht en visuospatiële patroonherkenning met taken van de Amsterdamse Neuropsychologische Taken (ANT). Deze taken werden op dinsdag, donderdag en vrijdag om 8.30 uur ’s morgens afgenomen. De resultaten wezen uit dat er een minimaal verschil op het testonderdeel visuospatiële informatieverwerking van de ANT bestaat tussen het ochtend- en avondchronotype bij deze kinderen. Daarbij presteerde ochtendchronotypen slechter dan de avondchronotypen in het verwerken van moeilijke informatie op basis van de reactietijd in de vroege ochtend. De conclusie is dat ochtend- en avondchronotypen in de leeftijdscategorie van zeven tot en met twaalf jaar op visuospatiële informatieverwerking in de vroege ochtend van elkaar verschillen.Show less
