Sleep Problems, Emotion (Dys)regulation, and Positive Affect: The Moderating Role of Physical Activity

Sleep problems have been consistently linked to poorer emotional functioning over time among children and adolescents. Conversely, physical activity has been linked to improved emotion regulation and higher levels of positive affect. While children engage in both sleep and physical activity daily, relatively little is known about how these two critical health behaviors interact to influence children’s emotional functioning. The central aim of the current study was to evaluate physical activity as a moderator of the associations between sleep problems and emotional functioning over a 6-month period during middle childhood. Participants included 284 children (49.5% girls, 52.8% Hispanic/Latinx, ages 7-12) in third through fifth grade and their homeroom teachers. Sleep problems and physical activity were assessed at baseline using child-reports. Emotion (dys)regulation was assessed at baseline and again approximately 6 months later using child- and teacher-reports. Child-reports of positive affect were also assessed at baseline and 6 months later. A series of multilevel models were estimated. Consistent with previous research, sleep problems were linked to poorer emotional functioning. Contrary to hypotheses, however, physical activity was only uniquely associated with positive affect, and it did not significantly moderate the links from sleep problems to emotional functioning. Supplemental analysis did reveal a three-way interaction between sleep disturbance, physical activity, and grade level in the prediction of child-reported emotion regulation, indicating that physical activity may be an important protective factor for older students. These findings suggest that prevention and intervention efforts should properly screen for children experiencing problems with their sleep and promote healthy sleep habits and regular physical activity.