Sleep quality is a vital area of research and also a health indicator for young adults, specifically college students, as poor sleep health can contribute to an unhealthy diet, poor mental health, and unsatisfactory academic performance. 

Sleep's importance for young adults  

Disturbed sleep in adulthood may serve as an indicator for the assessment of abuse or trauma history and may also be a consequence of more serious underlying health problems. There is an urgent need for identification of symptoms that would suggest a history of abuse so that proper treatment and care can be provided. Diagnostic routines for sleep disorders typically
fail to include an assessment of trauma history unless the patient is suspected of having depression or PTSD, however, recent research suggests that ACEs and sleep disorders are correlated regardless of mental health status. 

Implications of the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and sleep difficulties/disorders 

According to recent research, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with increased risk for poor sleep health amongst young adults. 

University of Illinois at Chicago

Experiences that occur during childhood or adolescence that are potentially traumatic. Examples of these events include neglect, parental conflict, mental illness, substance abuse, sexual abuse, etc. 

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Albers, L. D., Grigsby, T. J., Benjamin, S. M., Rogers, C. J., Unger, J. B., & Forster, M. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences and sleep difficulties among young adult college students. Journal of Sleep Research, 31(5), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13595

Adverse childhood experiences and sleep difficulties among young adult college students

The Pair of ACEs Tree represents the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adverse community environments. The tree displays adverse childhood experiences that can result from adverse community environments. The leaves on the tree symbolize the "symptoms" of systemic inequities that are deeply rooted in the soil. 

The Pair of ACEs Tree

In the United States, over 40% of youth have experienced at least one or more adverse childhood experience. 

Prevalence of ACEs

Children who have experienced at least one ACE are at more of a risk for:
- Toxic stress
- Increased risk for mental illness
- Increased suicidal ideation and attempts
- Increased risk for chronic physical health problems 

Consequences of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Universal ACE screening in pediatric health care has been recognized as a way to systematically notice risk and protective factors and create interventions to attend to mental and physical health problems. In pediatric clinical care, adverse childhood experiences can be identified through surveillance and psychosocial/behavioral assessments from newborn to adulthood. Additionally, self-report questionnaires are available to screen youth for potential trauma. 

Identification of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Pediatric Health Care

Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are experiences in one's childhood that can include child communication, support from family, sense of belonging in one's community, partaking in familial traditions, etc. From several research studies, higher  PCE scores are believed to be correlated with improved health outcomes, as well as an ability to balance the damaging effects of ACEs. 

Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)

According to current research studies, experiencing childhood trauma, as part of adverse childhood experiences, is associated with greater severity of the key symptoms of eating disorders, such as food restriction, shape, weight, and food concerns, and day-to-day functioning. 

Experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can be associated with key symptoms of eating disorders 

There are two broad categories of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) which are:
- Child maltreatment
- Household dysfunction 

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