Caregivers' Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitudes Regarding Healthy Sleep in Young Children

Abstract

Study Objectives: To examine sleep health knowledge and beliefs and their relationship to sleep practices in a community sample of caregivers of young children. Methods: A convenience sample of caregivers visiting a museum on one of 2 consecutive weekend days completed a brief parent-report survey on child sleep habits and parental basic sleep knowledge and beliefs and attitudes regarding sleep as a health behavior. Results: Of the 253 analyzable surveys (response rate 80%; mean age of index child 3.4 ± 2.0 years), 23% of children did not have a consistent bedtime, 25% had a bedtime later than 9 pm, 23% had at least one electronic device in the bedroom, and 56% frequently fell asleep with an adult present. Both positive and negative sleep habits tended to cluster together. Children who had irregular and late bedtimes were more than twice as likely to obtain insuffi cient sleep that those with regular and early bedtimes (OR 2.30, 2.45). While 25% of children were getting less than the recommended sleep amount for age, just 13% of parents believed that their child was getting insuffi cient sleep. Lack of knowledge regarding the potential negative impact of specifi c sleep practices was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in those practices. Conclusions:The results of this survey study of a generally well-educated sample of caregivers suggest that there are clear parental knowledge gaps regarding healthy sleep in young children and supports the need for increased sleep health education.

Sleep health literacy in head start families and staff: exploratory study of knowledge, motivation, and competencies to promote healthy sleep

“…14 Knowledge about healthy sleep tends to be limited among parents, 16,23–25 50% of whom believe snoring is healthy. 23 Ethnic and economic disparities are great. Among low-income, racial-ethnic minority 5- to -6-year-olds, 94% screen positive for sleep problems.…”

Exploring Socioeconomic Differences in Bedtime Behaviours and Sleep Duration in English Preschool Children

“…When parent-reported usual bedtimes, wake times and daily nap durations were used to estimate daily sleep duration in 253 American children aged 3 months to 12 years, it was found that a quarter did not reach the daily duration of sleep recommended by the National Sleep Foundation for their age (Owens, Jones, & Nash, 2011). Addressing our limited understanding of the causes of variation in child sleep duration is therefore of growing importance.…”

“…Most recommendations focus predominantly on children's nighttime sleep duration (Mindell et al, 2009), with lesser attention on associations between sleep hygiene and daytime sleep or combined daytime and nighttime sleep (Owens et al, 2011; Sadeh et al, 2009). Evidence is mixed regarding whether or not the composition of children's daily sleep, i.e.…”

“…and have been empirically associated with longer child sleep duration. They are as follows: having a regular bedtime (Owens et al, 2011); reading as part of the bedtime routine (Mindell et al, 2009); and falling asleep in bed each night, not on the sofa (Mindell et al, 2009; Sadeh et al, 2009). Conversely, lack of a regular bedtime, absence of a bedtime routine including reading, parental presence while falling asleep and being put in bed asleep rather than awake have been negatively associated with sleep duration in young children (Mindell et al, 2009; Owens et al, 2011; Sadeh et al, 2009).…”

“…They are as follows: having a regular bedtime (Owens et al, 2011); reading as part of the bedtime routine (Mindell et al, 2009); and falling asleep in bed each night, not on the sofa (Mindell et al, 2009; Sadeh et al, 2009). Conversely, lack of a regular bedtime, absence of a bedtime routine including reading, parental presence while falling asleep and being put in bed asleep rather than awake have been negatively associated with sleep duration in young children (Mindell et al, 2009; Owens et al, 2011; Sadeh et al, 2009). Our aims were to (i) quantitatively examine sleep duration and use of sleep hygiene behaviours in a socioeconomically diverse sample of British preschool children, drawing comparisons between socioeconomic groups; (ii) qualitatively explore the reasons parents do and do not practice sleep hygiene behaviours; and (iii) examine whether British children benefit from sleep hygiene recommendations, which are based on research conducted elsewhere, by assessing associations between sleep hygiene behaviours and sleep duration.…”