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Foster Caregivers' Perceptions of Children's Sleep Patterns, Problems, and Environments
Eleanor L McGlinchey1, Priscilla Rigos1, Josephine S Kim1
1Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, USA.
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|November 28, 2022
Summary
Children in foster care experience significant sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep and nightmares. These issues highlight the need for specialized, trauma-informed sleep interventions to improve their overall health and well-being.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Children in foster care exhibit a wide range of developmental issues.
- Sleep disturbances are prevalent but understudied in this vulnerable population.
- Sleep significantly impacts children's development, health, and behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and nature of sleep problems in children within the foster care system.
- To understand the relationship between sleep and other health/behavioral issues in foster children.
- To identify the need for targeted sleep interventions for foster youth.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to 485 foster caregivers across the United States.
- The survey included quantitative and qualitative questions about child sleep patterns and related issues.
- Participants reported on children aged 4-11 years currently in their care.
Main Results:
- Caregivers reported common difficulties with falling asleep (46 min) and staying asleep (34 min awake).
- High prevalence of sleep problems included: moving beds (85.8%), nightmares (51.2%), sleep terrors (26.4%), snoring (32.8%), bedwetting (31.6%), and teeth grinding (21.8%).
- Qualitative data revealed bedtime emotional/behavioral challenges, particularly fear and anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Findings confirm significant health disparities in foster care children.
- Results underscore the necessity of trauma-informed, behavioral sleep interventions for this population.
- Addressing sleep issues may help mitigate broader health disparities in foster youth.
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