Bedtime Routine Characteristics and Activities in Families with Young Children in the North of England

Bedtime routines have been shown to have significant associations with health, wellbeing and development outcomes for children and parents. Despite the importance of bedtime routines, most research has been carried out in the United States, with little information on bedtime routine characteristics and activities for families in other countries such as the United Kingdom and England in particular. Additionally, little is known about the possible effects of weekends vs. weekdays on the quality of bedtime routines. Finally, traditional, retrospective approaches have been most used in capturing data on bedtime routines, limiting our understanding of a dynamic and complex behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore bedtime routine characteristics and activities in families in the North of England with a real-time, dynamic data collection approach and to examine possible effects of weekend nights on the quality of bedtime routines. In total, 185 parents with children ages 3 to 7 years old provided data around their bedtime routine activities using an automated text-survey assessment over a 7-night period. Information on socio-economic and demographic characteristics were also gathered during recruitment. A small majority of parents managed to achieve all crucial elements of an optimal bedtime routine every night, with 53% reporting brushing their children’s teeth every night, 25% reading to their children every night and 30% consistently putting their children to bed at the same time each night. Results showed significant differences between weekend (especially Saturday) and weekday routines (F(1, 100) = 97.584, p < 0.001), with an additional effect for parental employment (F(1, 175) = 7.151, p < 0.05). Results highlight variability in bedtime routine activities and characteristics between families. Many families undertook, in a consistent manner, activities that are closely aligned with good practices and recommendations on what constitutes an optimal bedtime routine, while others struggled. Routines remained relatively stable during weekdays but showed signs of change over the weekend. Additional studies on mechanisms and elements affecting the formation, development and maintenance of bedtime routines are needed alongside studies on supporting and assisting families to achieve optimal routines.

Lack of sleep

Difficulties around sleeping is something many mothers go through, particularly with newborns. Pick up some reassurance and insight in this article, including tips on a bedtime routine and when to reach out for further support.

Bedtime Oral Hygiene Behaviours, Dietary Habits and Children’s Dental Health

Background: Oral hygiene behaviours as well as dietary habits before bed can affect children’s dental health resulting in higher prevalence of dental disease. Dental disease can affect children’s health, development and even school performance. If left untreated, dental disease can progress and it can lead to extractions under general anaesthetic causing further distress for children and families. Consistent and appropriate oral hygiene behaviours and dietary habits can prevent dental diseases from occurring in the first place. Objective: This cross-sectional study examines the relationship between oral hygiene behaviours, dietary habits around bedtime and children’s dental health. Methods: A total of 185 parents with children between the ages of 3 and 7 years from deprived areas participated in the study. Data on bedtime routine activities were collected using an automated text-survey system. Children’s dental health status was established through examination of dental charts and dmft (decayed, missed, filled teeth) scores. Results: In total, 52.4% of parents reported that their children’s teeth were brushed every night. The majority of children (58.9%) had dmft scores over zero. In total, 51 (46.7% of children with dmft score over 0 and 27.5% of all children) children had active decay. The mean dmft score for those experiencing decay was 2.96 (SD = 2.22) with an overall mean dmft score of 1.75 (SD = 2.24). There were significant correlations between frequency of tooth brushing, frequency of snacks/drinks before bed and dmft scores (r = −0.584, p < 0.001 and r = 0.547, p = 0.001 respectively). Finally, higher brushing frequency was associated with a lower likelihood of a dmft score greater than 0 (Exp(B) = 0.9). Conclusions: Despite families implementing oral hygiene behaviours as part of their bedtime routines those behaviours varied in their consistency. Results of this study highlight the need for additional studies that consider bedtime routine-related activities and especially the combined effects of oral hygiene practices and dietary habits due to their potentially important relationship with children’s dental health.

640 Regular bedtime routines and biological obesity risk among 9-year old children from the Fragile Families Child and Wellbeing Study

Introduction Obesity rates among Hispanic (26%) and Black (22%) children are considerably higher compared to their white counterparts (14%), which evidence suggests may be attributable to biological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors affecting the family unit. Bio-behavioral factors in the household may affect child health behaviors, including sleep, a known predictor for obesity. Hispanic and Black children report shorter sleep duration, later bedtimes, and are often lacking in bedtime routines, compared to white children. Evidence suggests that early childhood routines are highly predictive of overweight status in children. Herein, we investigate whether bedtime routines are associated with the genetic allele for obesity in a racially diverse sample of children. Methods Data for the present analysis emanated from wave 5 (Year 9--2007–2010) cohort of the Fragile Families Child and Wellbeing Study dataset. During home visits, interviews with children’s mother and father during home visits, around the target child’s ninth birthday collected data on home routines and other parent-child relationship and school connectedness topics. Saliva samples were also collected at Year 9 to assess telomere length and DNA methylation levels and changes. The independent variable was regular bedtime routine, and biological variable for fat mass and obesity (rs9939609) was the dependent variable. Adjusted covariates included child’s age and BMI, and parent household income. Results Analysis of the final sample of 466 children showed 52% of the children were male and were 9 years old, on average; 35% were White, 46% Black, 20% Hispanic, 4% Asian and 5% other. The median family income was $42,500. The child’s sleep measures captured was ‘children have a regular bedtime routine’ was associated with (β = -0.137, p = 0.01) decrease in the odds of having the genetic allele for obesity. Conclusion Regular bedtime routines among 9-year old Black and Hispanic children may be associated with genetic alleles related to fat mass and obesity. Regular bedtime routines could aid in promoting healthy weight in children. Support (if any) NIH (T32HL129953, K07AG052685, R01MD007716, R01HL142066, K01HL135452, R01HL152453.

609 Comparing parental sleep goals for younger versus older toddlers

Introduction This study aimed to assess parental sleep goals, comparing younger (12-23.9-month-olds) and older toddlers (24-35.9-month-olds) in consideration of developmental differences. Methods Parents (98.0% mothers) of 401 toddlers (12–35 mos; M=22.49 mos; 49% male) in the US completed an online survey, including an abbreviated Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire and a list of 58 desired areas of change (DACs). There were 230 one-year-olds (1yos; M=17.42mos) and 171 two-year-olds (2yos; M=29.30mos), with no difference in parent age between groups (M=34.41 years). Results 25.7% reported a perceived sleep-problem, whereas 94.8% indicated at least one sleep-related DAC. Parents of one- and two-year-olds reported similar rates of DAC for overnight sleep (58% vs. 49%), morning sleep (55% vs. 52%), and naps (70% vs. 64%), p&gt;.05. Parents of 2yos, however, reported bedtime as a DAC at a higher rate (59% vs. 79%), p&lt;.001. Twenty-five percent of specific bedtime DACs (n=8) were endorsed by ≥10% of parents. Parents endorsed falling asleep without an adult (17% of 1yos vs. 22% of 2yos) and falling asleep without nursing (10% vs. 9%) at similar rates, p&gt;.05. Parents of two-year-olds were more likely to endorse: getting through bedtime routine quickly/easily without stalling (10% vs. 30%,), earlier bedtime (10% vs. 24%), falling asleep faster at bedtime (24% vs. 10%), falling asleep without a pacifier (11% vs. 19%), falling asleep faster while alone (8% vs. 16%), and falling asleep without stalling/making requests (3% vs. 18%), p&lt;.05. Conclusion The majority of parents of toddlers endorsed a sleep-related desired area of change, with two-thirds wanting to change something about bedtime and naps, and over half wanting to change something about overnight and morning sleep. Parents of older toddlers (2yos) were more likely to desire changes at bedtime than parents of younger toddlers (1yos), especially related to stalling and discontinuing pacifier use. As toddlers age, bedtime problems are more likely. Health care providers should be aware of developmental changes, such as increased language and assertions of independence, that seem to mostly affect bedtime when addressing sleep issues in toddlers. Support (if any) Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Skillman, NJ, USA.

The Effect of a Voice-Centered Psycho-Educational Program on Maternal Self-Efficacy: A Feasibility Study

This study examined the effect of a brief psycho-educational program, Time Together, on maternal self-efficacy, mother-infant bonding, and mood/anxiety for community-based mothers. This program centered on maternal voice, timing of interplay, and recognition of infant cues. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design included quantitative measures: the Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale, the Mother-Infant Bonding Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and State & Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a sequential qualitative analysis to elaborate on the quantitative findings. Significant changes on the Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale were found. Qualitative analysis of the participant interviews and reflective diaries from the two weeks following the psycho-educational program confirmed that participation enhanced mothers’ ability to understand their infant, to soothe their infant when distressed, to play and to establish an effective bedtime routine. This feasibility study indicated that this is a promising approach to improve early mother-infant interaction and maternal self-efficacy.

Defining and measuring bedtime routines in families with young children—A DELPHI process for reaching wider consensus

Introduction Bedtime routines are one of the most common family activities. They affect children’ wellbeing, development and health. Despite their importance, there is limited evidence and agreement on what constitutes an optimal bedtime routine. This study aims to reach expert consensus on a definition of optimal bedtime routines and to propose a measurement for bedtime routines. Method Four-step DELPHI process completed between February and March 2020 with 59 experts from different scientific, health and social care backgrounds. The DELPHI process started with an expert discussion group and then continued with 3 formal DELPHI rounds during which different elements of the definition and measurement of bedtime routines were iteratively refined. The proposed measurement of bedtime routines was then validated against existing data following the end of the DELPHI process. Results At the end of the four round DELPHI process and with a consistent 70% agreement level, a holistic definition of bedtime routines for families with young children between the ages of 2 and 8 years was achieved. Additionally, two approaches for measuring bedtime routines, one static (one-off) and one dynamic (over a 7-night period) are proposed following the end of the DELPHI process. A Bland-Altman difference plot was also calculated and visually examined showing agreement between the measurements that could allow them to be used interchangeably. Discussion Both the definition and the proposed measurements of bedtime routines are an important, initial step towards capturing a behavioural determinant of important health and developmental outcomes in children.

Bedtimes, Bedtime Routines, and Children’s Sleep across the First Two Years of Life

Study Objectives The first objective of this study was to determine whether establishing bedtime routines in the first year of life predicts better sleep outcomes (i.e., longer sleep duration, less nighttime waking, earlier bedtime, shorter sleep latency, fewer sleep problems) across the first two years of life. The second objective was to determine whether specific adaptive bedtime activities (e.g., book reading) were associated with sleep outcomes. The third objective was to describe changes in adaptive bedtime activities (hug/kiss caregiver, say goodnight to family) across the first two years of life. Methods Parents of 468 children from the STRONG Kids 2 birth cohort were surveyed about bedtime and bedtime routines, their child’s sleep duration, nighttime waking, sleep latency and sleep problems at 3, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Results Cross-lagged panel models revealed partial evidence for reciprocal associations between bedtime routine consistency and adaptive bedtime activities and better sleep outcomes over time. Specifically, more bedtime routine consistency predicted less nighttime waking and sleep problems, and more bedtime adaptive activities predicted longer sleep duration and fewer sleep problems. Discussion The findings are discussed from a developmental perspective to highlight how consistency of bedtime routines established as early as three months of age may affect sleep outcomes and that the adaptive activities associated with these routines may increase in frequency over the first two years of life.

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators for Bedtime Routines in Families with Young Children

Objectives: Bedtime routines are a highly recurrent family activity with important health, social and behavioural implications. This study examined perceived barriers to, and facilitators of, formulating, establishing, and maintaining optimal bedtime routines in families with young children. Design: Participants completed a semi-structured interview based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Analysis followed a deductive approach. Participants: A total of 32 parents participated in the study. Most participants (N = 30) were females, were white (N = 25) and stay at home parents (N = 12). Results: Key barriers included lack of appropriate knowledge and sources of information, problematic skills development, social influences, cognitive overload, and lack of motivation for change. Facilitators included social role, access to resources, positive intentions, beliefs about consequences and reinforcement. In particular, optimal bedtime routines were less likely to be enacted when parents were tired/fatigued and there was a strong effect of habit, with suboptimal routines maintained over time due to past experiences and a lack of awareness about the importance of a good bedtime routine. Conclusions: Several theory-based, and potentially modifiable, determinants of optimal bedtime routines were identified in this study, providing important information for future interventions. Several of the key determinants identified were transient (tiredness) and/or non-conscious (habit), suggesting that future interventions may need to be deployed in real time, and should extend beyond conventional techniques.