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Cosleeping and sleep problems in Hispanic-American urban young children
F F Schachter1, M L Fuchs, P E Bijur
1Dept of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Metropolitan Hospital Center, NY 10029.
Insights
Cosleeping practices differ among ethnic groups, with Hispanic-American children more frequently sharing parental beds. This practice was associated with sleep problems in children, warranting further research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Sociology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Traditional pediatric recommendations often advise against cosleeping.
- Urban ethnic minority populations may have distinct cultural practices regarding sleep arrangements.
- Understanding these practices is crucial for culturally sensitive health guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cosleeping patterns in Hispanic-American children.
- To compare these patterns with those of white middle-American children.
- To examine the association between cosleeping and sleep problems in this population.
Main Methods:
- A study was conducted in East Harlem, New York City, involving Hispanic-American children aged 6 to 48 months.
- Cosleeping behaviors and sleep problems were assessed.
- Data were compared with a representative sample of white middle-American children.
Main Results:
- Frequent all-night cosleeping occurred in 21% of Hispanic-American children, significantly higher than the 6% in white children.
- Parental bedroom sharing was substantially higher in Hispanic-American (approx. 80%) versus white children (10%).
- Frequent all-night cosleeping was linked to increased sleep problems within the Hispanic-American group.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests a need to reconsider traditional pediatric advice on cosleeping for urban ethnic minorities.
- Cosleeping is a prevalent practice among Hispanic-American families and is associated with sleep issues.
- Culturally informed approaches to pediatric sleep guidance are necessary.
Abstract:
To assess whether the traditional pediatric prohibition against cosleeping in the parental bed requires reconsideration for urban ethnic minorities, cosleeping and sleep problems were studied in a sample of Hispanic-American, east Harlem, New York City, children 6 to 48 months of age. The incidence of frequent all-night cosleeping was found to be 21%, significantly higher than the documented rate of 6% found in a representative sample of white middle-American urban children of the same age and sex. For occasional cosleeping, however, there were no significant ethnic differences, and frequent part-night cosleeping was significantly less common than noted in the white sample. There were greater ethnic differences for sharing the parental bedroom compared with cosleeping in the parental bed, approximately 80% for Hispanic-Americans vs 10% for the white population. Within the Hispanic-American group, frequent all-night cosleeping was significantly more common among single parents and those living in multiple households and less common among infants and later-born children in the family. Frequent all-night cosleeping was also significantly associated with sleep problems.