Children who maintain a consistent bedtime routine are more likely to have better emotional control and behavior than their peers, a new study found.
The new research, led by Adwoa "Abi" Dadzie and Orfeu Buxton of Penn State University, explored whether maintaining regular sleep timing led to better emotional regulation and behavioral patterns among children. It also sought to determine whether an early parenting intervention could further enhance the effects of consistent bedtime on a child's behavior.
For the study, the researchers used data from the Intervention Nurses Star Infants Growing on Healthy Trajectories (INSIGHT) project and included 143 children at the age of six. The results were published in the Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Study on Bedtime Routine in Children
The study examined how different aspects of sleep—like how long children slept, the quality of their sleep, and when they went to sleep—related to their behavior. Each child included in the study wore wrist-mounted actigraphy devices for a week to track their bedtime routine. Behavioral outcomes were tested through structured tasks during clinic visits.
The findings showed that children who had consistent sleep timing were better at regulating their emotions when given the "transparent box task" wherein they were given keys to unlock a box containing a toy. None of the keys work initially.
Children with consistent sleep routines also resorted to self-talk rather than physical aggression or disruptive behaviors when they feel frustrated.
On the other hand, children who had inconsistent bedtime routines were more impulsive and had a harder time controlling their emotions during the frustration task. A similar result was seen among children who had inconsistent sleep timing. Both groups were more prone to hitting or throwing objects when frustrated.
"The key takeaway from this research is that less variable sleep timing is related to child behavioral and emotional outcomes in these 6-year-old children," Dadzie told Psypost. "Bedtimes and bedtime routines should be encouraged."
Limitations to the Study
While the study emphasized the importance of a consistent bedtime routine, the research had its limitations. For instance, the sample consisted largely of White children from middle-to-upper-income families in Pennsylvania. Additionally, the sleep data was only collected for a week.
