First name
Erin
Middle name
S
Last name
Leichman

Title

Correlates of a caregiver-reported child sleep problem and variation by community disadvantage.

Year of Publication

2022

Number of Pages

83-90

Date Published

2022 Jan 13

ISSN Number

1878-5506

Abstract

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Previous studies of sleep patterns and perceived problems in early childhood indicate variation by family socioeconomic status. The purpose of this study was to examine variation in correlates of a caregiver-perceived child sleep problem across and within levels of community disadvantage in a large US sample.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>Caregivers of 14,980 young children (ages 0-35.9 months) in the US completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire-Revised (BISQ-R) on the freely and publicly available Johnson's® Bedtime® Baby Sleep App. Zip code was used to identify a Distressed Communities Index (DCI) score, which represents community disadvantage based on neighborhood indicators.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Across all levels of community disadvantage, caregivers who reported greater impact of child sleep on their own sleep, bedtime difficulty, more frequent and longer night wakings, and increased total nighttime sleep were more likely to endorse a child sleep problem. These associations varied by level of community disadvantage. For caregivers living in more disadvantaged communities, impact of child sleep on their own sleep and night wakings were the strongest correlates of endorsing a child sleep problem, whereas for those in more advantaged communities the impact of child sleep on their own sleep and night wakings as well as additional aspects of sleep health, such as short sleep duration, were associated with endorsement of a child sleep problem.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Findings suggest that families living in more distressed communities are most likely to identify the impact of child sleep on their own sleep and night wakings in reporting a child sleep problem, whereas those from more prosperous communities consider these factors as well as other sleep parameters, including sleep duration. Clinicians should consider expanding screening questions for child sleep problems to include the perceived impact on caregiver sleep.</p>

DOI

10.1016/j.sleep.2022.01.009

Alternate Title

Sleep Med

PMID

35123150
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Title

Socioeconomic disadvantage and sleep in early childhood: Real-world data from a mobile health application.

Year of Publication

2021

Number of Pages

Date Published

2021 Mar 04

ISSN Number

2352-7226

Abstract

<p><strong>OBJECTIVES: </strong>To examine whether increased socioeconomic disadvantage, indexed using a measure of community distress, was associated with variation in caregiver-reported early childhood sleep patterns and problems in a large US sample using a mobile health application (app).</p>

<p><strong>DESIGN: </strong>Cross-sectional.</p>

<p><strong>SETTING: </strong>Data were collected using the free, publicly available Johnson's Bedtime© baby sleep app.</p>

<p><strong>PARTICIPANTS: </strong>A total of 14,980 caregivers (85.1% mothers) of children ages 6-35.9 months (M&nbsp;=&nbsp;13.88 months; 52.6% boys) participated in this study.</p>

<p><strong>MEASURES: </strong>Caregivers reported on child sleep using the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire-Revised. Socioeconomic disadvantage was indexed by zip code using the Distressed Communities Index (DCI), which combines seven US census indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage. DCI scores range from prosperous (lowest quintile) to distressed (highest quintile).</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Socioeconomic disadvantage was significantly associated with later bedtimes, longer sleep onset latency, and shorter nighttime and 24-hour (total) sleep duration, with children living in distressed communities showing the poorest sleep. However, caregivers living in distressed communities reported a significantly lower prevalence of overall child sleep problems (43% vs 58% in prosperous communities), and more confidence in managing child sleep (42% vs 34% in prosperous communities).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Children living in the most distressed communities have the poorest reported sleep patterns and bedtime behaviors; however, their caregivers are less likely to report problematic child sleep. These findings highlight the need for community-level sleep health promotion interventions, as well as further investigation of caregiver perceptions about child sleep and sleep health promotion among families living in socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts.</p>

DOI

10.1016/j.sleh.2021.01.002

Alternate Title

Sleep Health

PMID

33678602
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Title

Effectiveness of an mHealth Intervention for Infant Sleep Disturbances.

Year of Publication

2020

Number of Pages

548-558

Date Published

2020 Jul

ISSN Number

1878-1888

Abstract

<p>Bedtime problems and night wakings are highly prevalent in infants. This study assessed the real-world effectiveness of an mHealth behavioral sleep intervention (Customized Sleep Profile; CSP). Caregivers (83.9% mothers) of 404 infants (age 6 to 11.9 m, M = 8.32 m, 51.2% male) used the CSP (free and publicly available behavioral sleep intervention delivered via smartphone application, Johnson's® Bedtime® Baby Sleep App). Caregivers completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire-Revised (BISQ-R) at baseline and again 4 to 28 days later. Changes in sleep patterns were analyzed, based on sleep problem status (problem versus no problem sleepers; PS; NPS). Sleep onset latency improved in both groups. Earlier bedtimes, longer continuous stretches of sleep, as well as decreased number and duration of night wakings, were evident in the PS group only. The BISQ-R Total score, total nighttime sleep, and total 24-hour sleep time improved for both groups, with a greater change for the PS group. Further, caregivers of infants in the PS group decreased feeding (bedtime and overnight) and picking up overnight, and perceived better sleep. Bedtime routine regularity, bedtime difficulty, sleep onset difficulty, and caregiver confidence improved for both groups, with the PS group showing a greater magnitude of change. Thus, a real-world, publicly available, mHealth behavioral sleep intervention was associated with improved outcomes for older infants. Intervention recommendations resulted in changes in caregivers' behavior and improvements in caregiver-reported sleep outcomes in infants, in as few as 4 days.</p>

DOI

10.1016/j.beth.2019.12.011

Alternate Title

Behav Ther

PMID

32586429
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Title

Caregiver-perceived sleep outcomes in toddlers sleeping in cribs versus beds.

Year of Publication

2019

Number of Pages

16-21

Date Published

2019 02

ISSN Number

1878-5506

Abstract

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>Little is known about whether sleep space impacts toddler sleep outcomes. We examined the prevalence of crib-sleeping and its association with caregiver-reported sleep patterns and problems in a large sample of toddlers from Western countries.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>Participants were caregivers of 1983 toddlers ages 18.0-35.9 months (51.7% male; mean age 25.3 months) from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States sleeping in a crib or bed in a separate room from caregivers. Caregiver-reported sleep patterns and problems were collected via a free, publicly available child sleep smartphone application.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Across countries/regions, rates of crib-sleeping decreased linearly with age, with 63.4% of toddlers ages 18.0-23.9 months, 34.3% of toddlers ages 24.0-29.9 months, and 12.6% of toddlers ages 30.0-35.9 months sleeping in a crib. Across age groups and countries, crib sleeping was significantly associated with an earlier bedtime, shorter sleep onset latency, fewer night awakenings, longer stretches of time asleep, increased nighttime sleep duration, and decreased bedtime resistance and sleep problems. The duration of night awakenings did not significantly differ by sleep space.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>Sleeping in a crib instead of a bed is associated with enhanced caregiver-reported sleep quantity and quality for toddlers in Western countries. Consistent with practice recommendations, deferring the crib-to-bed transition until age 3 years may benefit toddlers' sleep in Western contexts. Additional research is needed to identify the impact of sleep space on child sleep in other countries/regions.</p>

DOI

10.1016/j.sleep.2018.10.012

Alternate Title

Sleep Med.

PMID

30529772
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