Male workers who received a complete physical examination at a single facility in the fiscal year 2008 and were assigned to a specific health guidance group were divided into three subgroups: 1) the normal group (group N) including those with absolutely no cardiovascular disease-related risk factors, 2) the risk group (group R), including those with at least one cardiovascular disease-related risk factor, and 3) the support group (group S) including those currently receiving “motivational support” and “active support.” The characteristics of the groups N, R, and S were analyzed to determine whether specific lifestyle habits were correlated with cardiovascular disease-related risk factors. Group R showed a higher correlation than group N with cardiovascular disease-related risk factors, including age, rapid eating, a preference to rich flavors, and frequent consumption of noodles and donburi rice bowl dishes, and preventive factors for cardiovascular diseases including walking and exercising, eating breakfast, and eating fruits.

Objectives: Previous studies have indicated that a collapse in caregivers’ life rhythms leads to sleep irregularity among children, which affects their growth and development. In addition, irregularity in children’s sleep patterns may relate to caregivers’ stress. Thus, the present study examined the relationship between children’s sleep rhythm and distress among working caregivers.

Methods: Caregivers who had entrusted their children to 21 nursery schools in Japan were recruited to take part in this survey from April 2014 to March 2015. The questionnaires were distributed to 593 caregivers with 5-to 6-year-old children who were attending the nursery schools at the time of investigation, and were responded by 404. Working caregivers distress was the dependent variable and children’s sleep rhythms, work load, loss of self-confidence in childcare, gender, and family structure were independent variables. To determine which factors significantly influenced working caregivers distress, we analyzed the data first via chi-square test and then via multiple logistic regression analysis to calculate the odds ratio of each variable. The family structure was examined in two models.

Results: We analyzed the valid data of 350 working mothers. According to the multiple logistic regression analysis, in the model1, the odds ratios of working caregivers distress were 3.10 for loss of self-confidence in childcare, 2.34 for work load, and 1.97 for children’s sleep rhythms. In the model2, the odds ratios of working caregivers distress were 3.12 for loss of self-confidence in childcare, 2.39 for family structure, 2.33 for work load, and 1.93 for children’s sleep rhythms.

Conclusion: We determined a clear relationship between children’s sleep rhythms and working caregivers distress. Thus, ensuring that children have regular sleep rhythms may be important not only for their growth and development but also for stress management of working caregivers.