Gestational age at birth and sleep duration in early childhood in three population-based cohorts

•Children born after shorter gestational duration sleep longer than their term born peers.•Lower gestational age is linked to longer sleep duration in three cohorts, even in term born children (37-42 weeks gestation).•The association between gestational age and sleep duration is most prominent in the first year of life.•Our subtle yet consistent findings point to the importance of maturational processes during sleep.•Maturational processes underlying the interplay between gestational age and sleep duration should be investigated.