Abstract
BackgroundBedtime routines has shown important associations with areas associated with child wellbeing and development. Research into bedtime routines is limited with studies mainly focusing on quality of sleep. The objectives of the present study were to examine the relationship between bedtime routines and a variety of factors associated with child wellbeing and to examine possible determinants of bedtime routines.MethodsA total of 50 families with children between 3 and 5 years old took part in the study. Data on bedtime routines, parenting styles, school readiness, children’s dental health, and executive function were collected.ResultsChildren in families with optimal bedtime routines showed better performance in terms of executive function, specifically working memory (t (44)= − 8.51, p ≤ .001), inhibition and attention (t (48)= − 9.70, p ≤ .001) and cognitive flexibility (t (48)= − 13.1, p ≤ .001). Also, children in households with optimal bedtime routines scored higher in their readiness for school (t (48)= 6.92, p ≤ .001) and had better dental health (U = 85.5, p = .011). Parents in households with suboptimal bedtime routines showed worse performance on all measures of executive function including working memory (t (48)= − 10.47, p ≤ .001), inhibition-attention (t (48)= − 10.50, p ≤ .001) and cognitive flexibility (t (48)= − 13.6, p ≤ .001). Finally, parents with optimal bedtime routines for their children deployed a more positive parenting style in general (i.e. authoritative parenting) compared to those with suboptimal bedtime routines (t (48)= − 6.45, p ≤ .001).ConclusionThe results of the present study highlight the potentially important role of bedtime routines in a variety of areas associated with child wellbeing and the need for further research.
Highlights
Bedtime routines has shown important associations with areas associated with child wellbeing and development
Comparisons based on bedtime routines for parenting, executive function and school readiness Table 1 shows there were significant differences across all metrics
The main objective of the present study was to explore if bedtime routines affect child wellbeing as measured by dental health, school readiness and executive function
Summary
Bedtime routines has shown important associations with areas associated with child wellbeing and development. Research into bedtime routines is limited with studies mainly focusing on quality of sleep. A limited number of existing studies have shown important associations between bedtime routines and a number of factors linked to child development, child wellbeing and parenting [2,3,4,5,6]. Dental health, school performance including school readiness, socio-emotional and cognitive development have shown important, yet in some cases limited, associations with bedtime routines. These factors can directly affect components associated with overall wellbeing including mental and physical health as well as emotional, social and developmental. Closely associated with a healthy attitude towards school, has impact beyond the first years of school education with children who have higher levels of school readiness at age five presenting generally with more successful grades at school, being
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