Night shifts proven to benefit parent-child relationship, UW study says

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The new UW study suggests that the night shift has proven to have positive effects on child behavior and relationship with parents.

“Given the strains these schedules can put on parents' sleep schedules and mental health, I had not anticipated that finding,” said Christine Leibbrand, UW sociology graduate student and author of the study. “This suggests that in two-parent families, these schedules can be important resources for balancing work and family.”

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Taking information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which followed a group of nearly 13,000 parents in 1979 and their children in 1986, Leibbrand began comparing parents’ work schedules with reports of their child’s behavior. Adolescents ages five to 15 were given a 28-question survey that covered anxiety, aggression, and getting along with peers.

Leibbrand found that a mother’s night shift tended to have benefits for boys and girls, especially when they’re younger. At the same time, a father’s night shift coincided with behavioral benefits among boys.

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