Could your child’s sleep problems be genetic?

Sleeping problems are not uncommon in children. Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and getting enough sleep can be typical stressors for parents when it comes to their child’s sleeping habits. Parents are often left wondering what could be the cause of sleeping problems.

A new study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry suggests some children may be genetically predisposed to poor sleep. Researchers examined sleep patterns reported by mothers of nearly 2,500 children at 1 1/2, 3, 6 and 10-15 years old. The questions centered around trouble falling asleep, sleeping less than children of the same age and frequent overnight wakings. When the children were between 10-15 years of age, they also wore sleep-tracking watches for a total of 18 days.

The findings were not all that surprising. Children genetically predisposed to sleep problems, such as insomnia, were reported by their mothers to experience more sleep-related issues. But genes aren’t the only thing at play when it comes to trouble sleeping.

“This article contributes to the growing literature looking for a way to predict which children might develop insomnia. But, it would be an overstatement to say that it shows a clear correlation between genetic predisposition and insomnia or sleep duration,” says Dr. Darius Loghmanee, a sleep specialist at Advocate Children’s Hospital. “Subjects with certain genetic markers were more likely to have parent-reported sleep issues, but when tested, they were not significantly different from controls.”

Dr. Loghmanee reminds us that sleep is complex.

“Everything in our lives affects our sleep, and our sleep affects everything in our lives. That being said, noble efforts like these to try to identify people who are at greater risk for sleep disorders are helpful,” says Dr. Loghmanee.

As work continues to strengthen our understanding of genetic predispositions to poor sleep, he says families would be best served by avoiding thoughts about whether their child is a good sleeper or a bad sleeper.

“This kind of thinking can be very disheartening,” says Dr. Loghmanee. “Instead, families can focus their attention on how to help their child advance in their ability to recognize that their day is over and transition to their sleep environment. It’s much easier to consider how to help them do this than it is to try to make them sleep.”