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Social and demographic predictors of preschoolers' bedtime routines

Lauren Hale1, Lawrence M Berger, Monique K LeBourgeois

  • 1Graduate Program in Public Health, Division of Evaluative Sciences, Department of Preventive Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8338, USA. lhale@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|September 12, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Children from disadvantaged households have less consistent bedtime routines, potentially leading to sleep disparities and adverse outcomes. This study highlights the impact of socioeconomic factors on early childhood sleep habits.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Sleep Science
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Preschooler bedtime routines are crucial for healthy development.
  • Sociodemographic factors may influence the establishment and consistency of these routines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate associations between child and family sociodemographic characteristics and preschooler bedtime routines.
  • To determine how factors like race, ethnicity, maternal education, and socioeconomic status relate to bedtime routine presence, timing, and consistency.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized parent-report data from 3217 3-year-old children in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study.
  • Examined associations between child and family characteristics and bedtime routine parameters (presence, time, consistency).

Main Results:

  • Over 80% of children had a bedtime, but only two-thirds adhered to it.
  • Black and Hispanic children experienced later bedtimes and reduced odds of consistent bedtime routines compared to white children, even after controls.
  • Low maternal education, larger household size, and poverty correlated with decreased use of interactive and hygiene-related bedtime routines.

Conclusions:

  • Children from disadvantaged households are less likely to have consistent bedtime routines.
  • This disparity may contribute to later differences in sleep quality, duration, and timing.
  • These sleep differences are linked to adverse behavioral, cognitive, and health outcomes in children.
Abstract

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