Surprised That Consistent Bedtime Means Calmer Kids
No parent can deny that poor sleep makes for some grumpy children, bursting with irritability and sibling fights, but this research takes it a step further than just how many hours your child slept last night. In the study by Penn State, comparisons were made between children who had a consistent bedtime and those who varied greatly throughout the week. By testing their ability to handle frustration the next day, they found differences between the two groups. They also found more prosocial behavior (cooperation) in those children with a consistent bedtime.
Parents clearly play a critical role in children’s growth and development. Parenting styles which are more responsive with clear structures can have both immediate and lasting impacts on children as they grow. This can seem a vague statement nobody would seriously argue against, but what does ‘responsive and structured’ actually mean? This study provides a simple straightforward example that parents can implement for their children’s benefit.
In the study, when children’s bedtime only varied by 20 minutes throughout the week was compared with children’s whose bedtimes varied by 2 hours, significant differences were found in the testing methods.
In the first test, children were given a locked box with a desired toy along with a set of keys. To test frustration, none of the provided keys would open the lock. After a set number of minutes, the researcher would come and open the box with the correct key. Observations would be made in how the children responded to the frustrating situation.
In the other test, children were given a picture to decorate with their parents. They were observed for cooperative behavior versus uncooperative behavior during the activity.
Those children who had a consistent bedtime performed better in terms of lower negative behaviors and more cooperative behaviors. While this is literally not rocket science, it is helpful to reassure us that providing structure to our children’s life does serve them well in life. Many parents will respond to this with an “of course”, but in our age of dependence on “scientific results” and “experts”, this study gives support to age old wisdom and will hopefully encourage young parents to provide old-fashioned parenting to their cuddly little ones as they grow.
Helping others live healthier, more abundant lives includes not only treating the complex and challenging symptoms of illness, but requires the simple lifestyle habits which enable our body, minds, and spirits to function optimally. Parents should put some effort into regular bedtimes for their children and maybe try it for themselves as well.
Original Article:
Adwoa Dadzie, Lindsay Master, Emily E. Hohman, Erika Hernandez Acton, Sara Tauriello, Ian M. Paul, Jennifer S. Savage, Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, Orfeu M. Buxton. Associations Between Sleep Health and Child Behavior at Age 6 Years in the INSIGHT Study. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2024; DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001326
Thanks to Science Daily:
Penn State. “Consistent bedtime linked with better child emotion and behavior regulation.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 November 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241111122843.htm>.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
