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Parent perceptions and practices regarding sleep in children

Results of a demographic survey in a nonclinical sample

Theoretisches und praktisches elterliches Wissen zum kindlichen Schlaf

Ergebnisse einer demographischen Studie in einer außerklinischen Stichprobe

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Abstract

Background

A good night’s sleep is highly important for children’s healthy development. Therefore, it is also important to provide parents with information on sleep and disturbed sleep of children.

Objective

Little is known about German parents’ knowledge about sleep in children, or about how parents react when faced with children’s sleep problems. Therefore, a preliminary, primarily descriptive demographic survey was carried out.

Materials and methods

A questionnaire comprising theoretical and applied items on healthy sleep in children, as well as on prevention and handling of childhood sleep problems, was developed. Information on prevention and handling of childhood sleep difficulties was requested using open questions. Parents of seven randomly selected primary schools and kindergartens in Germany were included. Altogether, 875 questionnaires were issued and N = 391 (45 %) parents responded.

Results

All in all, parents had a good knowledge of sleep and sleep difficulties in children, as they correctly answered 69.56 % of the questions. In particular, parents correctly answered 56.96 % of the knowledge questions and 84.30 % of the applied questions. In comparison, families with a child suffering from sleep problems answered significantly fewer of the questions correctly (68.78 %) and more of the questions with “do not know” (19.34 %), as compared to families with children without sleep problems (14.86 %).

Conclusion

The results demonstrate a need for sleep education – particularly in terms of transferring knowledge into daily life. Therefore, prevention programs and practical guidelines should be implemented to support families seeking help.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Für eine gesunde kindliche Entwicklung ist guter Schlaf sehr wichtig. Entsprechend sollten sich auch Eltern mit kindlichem Schlaf auskennen und über das nötige Wissen verfügen, um gegebenenfalls auch mit Schlafproblemen ihrer Kinder umgehen zu können.

Fragestellung

Über schlafbezogenes Wissen deutscher Eltern ist wenig bekannt. Um dieses elterliche Wissen und den Umgang mit Schlafschwierigkeiten im Kindesalter zu erfassen, wurde eine deskriptive Befragung durchgeführt.

Material und Methoden

Es wurde ein Fragebogen mit Items zu theoretischem (Faktenwissen) und angewandtem (Erziehungskompetenz) Wissen zu gesundem Schlaf im Kindesalter sowie zur Vorbeugung von und zum Umgang mit kindlichen Schlafproblemen entwickelt. Prävention von und Umgang mit kindlichen Schlafproblemen wurde mit offenen Fragen erfasst. Der Fragebogen wurde an 875 Eltern von sieben randomisiert erfassten deutschen Grundschulen und Kindergärten verteilt. Der Rücklauf betrug N = 391 (45 %).

Ergebnisse

Die Eltern verfügten über adäquates Wissen über den kindlichen Schlaf und beantworteten insgesamt 69,56 % der Fragen richtig. Bezüglich der beiden Kategorien Faktenwissen und Erziehungskompetenz zeigte sich, dass die Eltern 56,96 % der theoretischen und 84,30 % der anwendungsbezogenen Fragen richtig beantworteten. Es ergaben sich signifikante Unterschiede im elterlichen Wissen in Abhängigkeit davon, ob Eltern angaben, dass das eigene Kind Schlafprobleme gehabt habe. Eltern, die angaben, dass das Kind zum Untersuchungszeitpunkt unter Schlafschwierigkeiten leide, beantworteten weniger Fragen richtig (68,78 %) und gaben bei mehr Fragen an, die Antwort nicht zu wissen (19,43 %) als Eltern, die angaben, das eigene Kind habe zum Untersuchungszeitpunkt keine Schlafschwierigkeiten gehabt (14,86 %).

Diskussion

Diese Ergebnisse zeigen den Informations- und Aufklärungsbedarf über Schlaf im Kindesalter. Es gab einen Unterschied zwischen theoretischem und angewandtem elterlichen Wissen, insbesondere der Transfer theoretischen Wissens für die elterliche Erziehungskompetenz scheint hier von Bedeutung zu sein. Patienteninformationen sollten entsprechend möglichst praxisnah formuliert werden.

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Acknowledgment

We thank the deans of the schools and kindergartens for supporting the study, and especially the parents for participating. We also wish to thank Stefanie Klöcker for collecting the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Marcusstraße 9–11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany

    J. B. Kanis,  B. Schwerdtle &  A. Kübler

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

    A. A. Schlarb

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  1. J. B. Kanis
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  2. B. Schwerdtle
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  3. A. Kübler
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  4. A. A. Schlarb
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. B. Kanis.

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Conflict of interest

J. B. Kanis, B. Schwerdtle, A. Kübler and A. A. Schlarb state that there are no conflicts of interest.

All studies on humans described in the present manuscript were carried out with the approval of the responsible ethics committee and in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its current, revised form). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in studies.

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Kanis, J.B., Schwerdtle, B., Kübler, A. et al. Parent perceptions and practices regarding sleep in children. Somnologie 19, 263–270 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-015-0033-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-015-0033-5

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