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Published on: October 2, 2019
The sleeping patterns of Head Start children and the influence on developmental outcomes
M Schlieber1, J Han2
1Department of Psychology, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT, USA.
Insights
Consistent sleep patterns are crucial for children's cognitive and behavioral development. Disrupted sleep negatively impacts learning, behavior, and social skills in Head Start children.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Sleep significantly influences children's developmental trajectories.
- Understanding sleep patterns is vital for optimizing child outcomes.
- Previous research highlights the general importance of sleep for development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sleeping patterns of Head Start children.
- To examine the impact of these sleep patterns on cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
- To identify specific sleep-related factors affecting child development in this population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2009 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (N=2,868).
- Assessed sleeping patterns via parent interviews.
- Measured cognitive outcomes through direct assessments and teacher reports; behavioral outcomes via parent and teacher reports.
- Employed multiple regression analysis to determine relationships between sleep and outcomes.
Main Results:
- 89% of children had regular bedtimes; average sleep was 10.41 hours.
- Disrupted sleep negatively influenced cognitive skills (math, language, literacy behaviors, learning approaches).
- Inconsistent sleep was linked to increased behavioral issues (aggression, hyperactivity, withdrawal) and poorer social skills.
- Inconsistent bedtime predicted lower expressive vocabulary and literacy behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Consistent sleep and regular bedtimes are predictive of cognitive and behavioral development in children.
- Sleep quality and consistency play a significant role in overall child development.
- Head Start programs can enhance parental knowledge of effective child sleep practices.
Background:
Sleep has a significant influence on children's development. The objective of this study was to investigate Head Start children's sleeping patterns and the impact on cognitive and behavioural outcomes.
Methods:
Using the 2009 cohort of the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (N = 2,868), information on sleeping patterns was assessed through parent interviews. Cognitive outcomes were assessed using direct assessments (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IV, the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, and Subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III) in addition to teacher report. Behavioural outcomes were assessed through parent and teacher reports. A multiple regression analysis was performed for each outcome variable.
Results:
Descriptive findings showed that 89% of children had a regular bedtime at least 4 days per week and that the average amount of sleep per night was 10.41 hr. White mothers were more likely than other racial groups to adhere to a consistent bedtime, and maternal employment predicted less hour of sleep per night. Multiple regression analyses revealed that disrupted sleep had a negative influence on cognitive outcomes, especially in areas of mathematical problem solving, receptive language, teacher-reported literacy behaviours, and approaches to learning. Disrupted sleep was associated with the risk of misbehaviour by increasing teacher and parent ratings on aggressive behaviours, hyperactivity, and withdrawing in addition to decreased scores on overall social skills. Having an inconsistent bedtime negatively predicted expressive vocabulary and teacher-reported literacy behaviours.
Conclusions:
The findings of this study support the influential role of sleep on children's development. Sleeping through the night and having a consistent bedtime were found to be predictive of many areas of cognitive and behavioural development. Head Start staff can provide the supports to increase parental knowledge on appropriate child sleep practices.
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