Estimating adolescent sleep patterns: parent reports versus adolescent self-report surveys, sleep diaries, and actigraphy

timating adolescent sleep patterns: parent reports versus adolescent self-report surveys, sleep diaries, and actigraphy Original Research (654) Total Article Views Authors: Short MA, Gradisar M, Lack LC, Wright HR, Chatburn A Published Date February 2013 Volume 2013:5 Pages 23 - 26 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S38369 Received: 21 September 2012 Accepted: 22 October 2012 Published: 12 February 2013 Michelle A Short,1,2 Michael Gradisar,1 Leon C Lack,1 Helen R Wright,1 Alex Chatburn2 1School of Psychology, Flinders University, 2Centre for Sleep Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Background: In research and clinical contexts, parent reports are often used to gain information about the sleep patterns of their adolescents; however, the degree of concordance between parent reports and adolescent-derived measures is unclear. The present study compares parent estimates of adolescent sleep patterns with adolescent self-reports from surveys and sleep diaries, together with actigraphy. Methods: A total of 308 adolescents (59% male) aged 13–17 years completed a school sleep habits survey during class time at school, followed by a 7-day sleep diary and wrist actigraphy. Parents completed the Sleep, Medical, Education and Family History Survey. Results: Parents reported an idealized version of their adolescent's sleep, estimating significantly earlier bedtimes on both school nights and weekends, significantly later wake times on weekends, and significantly more sleep than either the adolescent self-reported survey, sleep diary, or actigraphic estimates. Conclusion: Parent reports indicate that the adolescent averages a near-optimal amount of sleep on school nights and a more than optimal amount of sleep on weekends. However, adolescent-derived averages indicate patterns of greater sleep restriction. These results illustrate the importance of using adolescent-derived estimates of sleep patterns in this age group and the importance of sleep education for both adolescents and their parents.