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Household chaos mediates the link between family resources and child sleep

Kaitlin M Fronberg1, Sunhye Bai1, Douglas M Teti1

  • 1Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.

Sleep Health
|December 21, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Family resources impact child sleep during kindergarten transition. Household chaos mediates this link, affecting sleep duration and recommended sleep proportion.

Area of Science:

  • Child development
  • Family studies
  • Sleep science

Background:

  • The transition to kindergarten is a critical developmental period.
  • Family socioeconomic status influences child well-being.
  • Child sleep is crucial for development and academic success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mediational role of household chaos in the relationship between family resources and child sleep outcomes.
  • To examine how socioeconomic risk factors affect children's sleep during the kindergarten transition.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 230 families with children entering kindergarten.
  • Data collected via parent-reported scales (Family Resources Scale-Revised) and observer-assessed household chaos (Descriptive In-Home Survey of Chaos-Observer Reported).
  • Objective sleep measures (actiwatches) assessed child sleep duration and proportion of recommended sleep.

Main Results:

  • Family resources were stronger predictors of child sleep than household income.
  • Household chaos mediated the association between family resources and child sleep duration.
  • Household chaos also mediated the relationship between family resources and the proportion of recommended sleep.

Conclusions:

  • Household chaos is a key mechanism linking family resources to child sleep during the kindergarten transition.
  • Addressing household chaos may be important for supporting healthy child sleep in at-risk families.
  • Findings underscore the importance of socioeconomic factors in child sleep health.
Abstract

Keywords:
Family resourcesHousehold chaosKindergartenSleepSocioeconomic riskTransition

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