Proper sleep linked to better parenting: Study
Sleep-deprived mothers have a greater tendency to engage in 'permissive parenting' that may cause risky behaviours in their adolescent children, Asian News International, ANI, reported on Sunday, quoting the study published in 'Journal of Sleep Research', WAM reports.
'Permissive parenting' (also known as indulgent parenting) is a parenting style that is characterised by having few and inconsistent rules and a relaxed attitude to parenting. Children raised in this parenting style can exhibit insecure behaviours, lack social skills like sharing, be demanding, lack self-discipline and possibly be more likely to use alcohol or drugs.
The study found that during adolescence, 11 to 18 years of age, parental involvement is still an important contributing factor in how well kids are adjusting socially, emotionally, and behaviourally.
Those risky behaviours during adolescence could include affiliating with deviant or delinquent peers, engaging in delinquent behaviour (vandalism or skipping school), or substance use and abuse.
"Given that permissive parenting may heighten the risk of adolescents' risky behaviours, we wanted to take a step back to ask what's driving these permissive parenting behaviours, and to see if sleep could be a contributing factor," researcher Kelly Tu said.
"We found that when mothers were not receiving enough sleep, or receiving poor quality sleep, it had an effect on their levels of permissiveness with their adolescents," Tu said.
Findings showed that mothers who had longer durations of sleep or who were able to fall asleep easily had adolescents who reported lower levels of permissive parenting.
The results of the study point out the need for self-care and the importance of sleep.
"Sleep is an easier point to intervene in terms of changes individuals can make - things like not drinking caffeine or exercising too close to bedtime, establishing a bedtime routine, and thinking about the sleep environment," Tu said.