Restful nights to peaceful days: how sleep quality and family dynamics influence aggression in preadolescent children

Preadolescent children, facing academic stressors and physiological changes, often encounter sleep disturbances, which are recognized as a pivotal factor contributing to heightened aggression. This research, anchored on ecosystem theory and Emotion Management Theory, analyses how sleep quality promotes aggressiveness in preadolescent children while addressing the mediating effects of perceived parental conflict and emotional instability. The study conducted on 382 Chinese preadolescent children examined the relationship between sleep quality, aggression, perceived parental conflict, and emotional insecurity. The findings indicate that sleep quality not only directly influences aggression in preadolescent children but also indirectly increases their aggression by impacting their perception of parental conflict and emotional insecurity. Thus, this study proposes a novel perspective focused on the microsystem of individual–family dynamics to ameliorate aggression in preadolescent children.