LAUSR

Perspectives on co-sleeping vary by family cultural background and socio-demographic characteristics; furthermore, families may choose to co-sleep based on family values or out of necessity. To better understand the role of co-sleeping in young children from ethnic minority backgrounds, the current study sought to test the relationship between co-sleeping and sleep outcomes in an urban early childhood setting. 141 Parent-child dyads with children aged 1-5 years old (N=141,50.4% female, M=4.01 [SD=1.05]; 41% African American; 41% Latinx; median income $20-30,000) were recruited through an urban preschool. Parents completed demographic information and the Brief Child Sleep Questionnaire, which yielded insomnia and sleep hygiene indices. Step-wise regressions were used to examine the relationship between sleeping location and sleep outcomes (insomnia, sleep health, and child sleep quality), controlling for child age. Approximately half of the sample (n=71) reported that their child sleeps in a space shared by caregivers or siblings. Co-sleeping did not differ by race/ethnicity [χ 2(3)=1.45, p=.694], child age [F(1, 140)=2.15, p=.145], or income [χ 2(5)=7.05, p=.217]. Controlling for age, insomnia was higher in co-sleeping children [F(2,140)=4.10, p=.019], although sleep location was not a significant independent predictor. Sleep hygiene [F(2,140)=2.39, p=.095] and sleep quality [F(2,139)=0.94, p=.394] did not differ by sleeping location, when controlling for age. Co-sleeping was common but was not related to sociodemographic factors as described in prior research. Controlling for age, co-sleeping predicted higher insomnia scores suggesting that co-sleeping may be related to symptoms of behavioral insomnia. Sleep hygiene practices and sleep quality did not differ by sleeping location, suggesting that in children without behavioral insomnia symptoms, co-sleeping may not affect sleep. Future studies that seek to better understand caregiver preference and intentions regarding co-sleeping may be important to intervention development seeking to improve behavioral insomnia in ethnic/minority samples.