This habit can help children better control their emotions

While there is still work to be done for some adults to manage their emotions, it is more accepted that children still have difficulty doing so. However, crying fits, intense fears or outbursts of anger are a sign of poor regulation of emotions which can, in the long term, be problematic for development.

Self-regulation is the ability to control your behavior, emotions and thoughts. “More precisely, emotional self-regulation refers to the ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses, in other words, to think before acting,” explains Arlin Cuncic, clinical psychology graduate and author, for Very Well Mind. Self-regulation also involves the ability to bounce back from disappointment and act consistently with one’s values. It is one of the five key components of emotional intelligence. » But are we destined to know or not know how to self-regulate or can we learn it?

A link between sleep and emotion regulation

In a study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatricsresearchers questioned a certain habit and its influence on the regulation of emotions in 6-year-old children. They sought to determine whether maintaining regular sleep schedules was linked to better emotional and behavioral outcomes and whether early parental intervention could further reinforce these effects.

“My research mainly focuses on sleep, and more particularly on the way in which parents influence sleep and child development,” explains Adwoa Dadzie, doctoral student in biobehavioral health and author of the study, to PsyPost. Research conducted in these age groups allows us to learn how to implement positive sleep habits that will hopefully persist into adulthood. » To verify their hypothesis, the researchers recruited 143 children aged 6 years. Children were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a responsive parenting intervention group or a control group focused on home safety education. The children wore wrist-mounted actigraphy devices for a week. These devices recorded parameters such as time of falling asleep, midpoint and lag, as well as total sleep duration and how effectively it was maintained. The variability of these measures during the week was also calculated. Behavioral outcomes were assessed using structured tasks, intended to induce frustrationduring a visit to the clinic.

The importance of bedtime

The results showed that the regularity of sleep schedules had a stronger relationship with behavior and emotional control than the average duration or quality of sleep, notes PsyPost. Children whose sleep onset times were more regular showed better emotional regulation during the frustration task. They used adaptive strategies like inner dialogue rather than resorting to physical aggression or disruptive behavior.

Although recommendations on the amount of sleep in children are essential, these results show that regularity also has a role to play. “The main takeaway from this study is that less variability in sleep schedules is linked to behavioral and emotional outcomes in these 6-year-olds,” concludes Adwoa Dadzie. Bedtimes and bedtime routines should be encouraged. »