Sleep Quality in Young Adults with Very Low Birth Weight—the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults

Objective To assess the relationship between very low birth weight (VLBW; <1,500 g) and quality and amount of sleep in young adults. Methods We compared 89 VLBW and 78 term-born 19- to 26-year-old adults, by actigraphy and the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire. Results There were no group differences in sleep quality or amount (p’s>.15), although VLBW adults went to bed on average 36min earlier (95 % confidence interval 6–66min). Shorter gestational age was related to longer sleep latency both within VLBW (standardized regression coefficient b.36, p .040) and term-born adults (b.25, p .029). Conclusion Adults with VLBW had similar quality and amount of sleep as those born at term, although VLBW adults went to bed earlier, suggesting an advanced sleep phase. Within each group, a lower gestational age was related to a longer sleep onset. Key words gestational age; prematurity; sleep; sleep disturbances; very low birth weight. Over the last decades, dramatic advances in the field of neonatology have taken place. Along with the introduction of modern neonatal intensive care, survival rates of preterm infants with very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight <1,500 g) have improved remarkably and the first VLB