PORTLAND, OR -- New research from OHSU suggests children’s sleep patterns are impacted by traumatic experiences, and it could lead to poor heart health and other conditions later in life. The American Heart Association believes improper sleep can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health. Now, a new study shows Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can play a role. 

"Children who have experienced traumatic events are more likely to have inadequate sleep, either too little or too much," says Dr. MinKyoung Song. She studied data from 100,000 children nationwide, "The number of Adverse Childhood Experiences children had was associated with suboptimal sleep."

Dr. Song says kids ages six to 12 should get between nine and 12 hours of sleep a night; ages 13 through 18 need eight to 10 hours, "And, what we found out, that when they are out of that range - either they are getting too  little sleep or too much sleep for their age - they are going to be classified as children who are not getting enough sleep." Dr. Song says about a third of American kids don't get appropriate levels of sleep.

She notes ACEs range from witnessing trauma to directly experiencing it as a victim, "Whether parents were divorced, parents had a death or they were in prison; whether children were exposed to any domestic violence or they witnessed domestic violence. And also, they asked if children experienced any unfair treatment because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity."

Dr. Song hopes her research will lead to better health screenings for kids, "Especially, we want to give special attention or provide additional support when it’s possible, to children of vulnerable populations who experience these traumatic events."

She'll present her findings to the American Heart Association next week. Click HERE for more tips on healthy sleep from the AHA.