The Longitudinal Association of Young Children's Everyday Routines to Sleep Duration

Abstract Introduction Everyday routines promote children's health. In the present study, we examined whether children's participation in everyday routines at ages 4 and 6 years predicted their sleep duration at age 6 years. Method A secondary analysis of data was performed for 177 families who participated in the Rochester Preschool Children Injuries Study. Mothers were interviewed when their children were ages 4 and 6 years and reported on their children's everyday routines and perceived sleep duration. Relationships were examined by multiple hierarchical regression analysis. Results It was found that children who participated in more frequent routines at age 4 years were more likely to do so at age 6 years. Children's inadequate sleep duration at age 6 years was predicted by less frequent routines at age 6 years and by inadequate sleep duration at age 4 years after controlling for mothers' ethnicity, mothers' education, and family structure. An indirect relationship of routines at age 4 years to sleep at age 6 years through routines at age 6 years was found. Discussion Continuous engagement in everyday routines seems to play an important role in children's sleep acquisition.