Timesheets, tantrums, and trust: Early childhood bedtime routines in a majority Black and Hispanic sample

Bedtime routines established before the age of 5 are one of the most beneficial practices for children's sleep and are often used in interventions and recommended by pediatricians. However, for parents experiencing poverty, maintaining a bedtime routine can be challenging due to employment constraints and other factors. Using the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the present study assessed maternal nonstandard employment (i.e., night, weekend, variable shifts), child externalizing behavior, and maternal social capital as predictors and moderators of bedtime routine use and activities (i.e., physical contact, communication, hygiene, and nutrition) at age 3. The sample included 1,364 children (52.5% boys; M_age = 35.66 months, SD = 2.40 months) and their mothers (M_age = 28.69 years, SD = 6.07 years; 50.04% non-Hispanic Black, 23.88% non-Hispanic White, and 22.26% Hispanic, 3.82% "other"). Results showed that maternal nonstandard employment was associated with a lower probability of using a bedtime routine and communication activities. Higher social capital was also associated with a higher probability of using bedtime routines, hygiene, and communication activities. Mothers with children who show higher levels of externalizing behavior were more likely to have bedtime routines and use hygiene and nutrition activities. Higher levels of social capital eliminated the difference in the probability of using a bedtime routine by employment type. Finally, the positive association between externalizing behavior and communication activity use was only significant for mothers in standard employment. Results illustrate the importance of considering a family's social context when designing bedtime routine interventions and bedtime activities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).