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Background The potential relationships between sleep–wake behaviors and emotional/disruptive problems in otherwise healthy school-aged children are unclear. Methods A parental questionnaire was developed for the epidemiologic survey of children’s sleep and wake behavioral patterns. The questions covered a wide range of features including sleep length (school days, weekends), time to fall asleep, night awakenings, bedtime and nighttime sleep-related behaviors, daytime sleepiness, irritability, and tiredness. To assess psychiatric symptomatology, the Rutter Scale B2 was completed by teachers. In addition to the total score, sub-scores of emotional, hyperactivity, and conduct problems were obtained. The representative population sample comprised 779 children (403 girls), with an age range of 6–11 years. Results Hyperactivity and conduct problems at school in boys were both associated with parental reports of bedtime resistance. Hyperactivity was also associated with longer sleep duration during weekends. Conduct and emotional problems in girls were associated with earlier bedtime during school days. Emotional problems in girls were also associated with longer sleep durations in school days and weekends. Conclusion Bedtime resistance was the only sleep behavior associated with either hyperactivity or conduct problems in children, and longer sleep durations appear to occur more frequently in children with both hyperactive or emotional problems. Information about good sleep hygiene at bedtime may help parents setting sleep limits.

Introduction/Aim Postpartum depression interferes negatively with mother9s well-being and infant9s development. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Positive Affect in late pregnancy was a protective factor for later Postpartum depression. Methods A total of 491 pregnant women filled in the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Beck Depression Inventory, socio-demographic characteristics, psychosocial variables and answered a Psychiatric Interview. After delivery 272 women participated for a second time. Results POMS factor analyses revealed a 30-item scale in pregnancy and a 27-item scale in post partum. Based on both factor analyses two dimensions of affect could be determined: a negative affect (NA) and a positive affect (PA) of affect could be determined. NA was associated with more intense depressive symptomatology, more self-perceived stress, low self-reported social support and low quality of life in pregnancy as well as post partum. By contrast, PA was negatively associated with these variables. In pregnancy, NA was a predictor of post partum depression (Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, DSM-IV/OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.4, p=0.003; International Classification of Diseases, ICD-10/OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5 to 3.0, p Conclusion Opposed dimensions of affect could be appropriately assessed using POMS. Reinforcing PA in late pregnancy may help preventing Postpartum depression.