Short report: Sleep talking and mental health in children with developmental problems and typically developing children.

Background: Sleep talking although often considered benign is associated with poor mental health. However, it remains to be tested whether this association may be better explained by the presence of co-morbid sleep problems and the presence in survey samples of children with development disorders who tend to report a higher frequency of both sleep problems and poor mental health.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the association between sleep talking and mental health after controlling for comorbid sleep problems in typically developing children and children with developmental problems.

Methods: Parents of typically developing children (n = 1609) and children with either intellectual or developmental delay (n = 128) aged 5-10 years completed an omnibus survey which was administered through participating South Australian primary schools assessing mental health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and sleep problems (Paediatric Sleep Survey Instrument).

Results: After controlling for co-morbid sleep problems, regression analyses revealed that sleep talking in typically developing children was an independent but weak predictor of worse emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer relationship problems. By contrast, only a single significant association was observed in children with developmental problems. Paradoxically, sleep talking was associated with better prosocial behaviour.

Conclusion: It is suggested that in typically developing children with a history of sleep talking, mental health merits evaluation at clinical interview while in both typically developing children and children with developmental problems, co-morbid sleep problems merit evaluation.