title: Evaluation of a sleep education program for low-income preschool children and their families.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a novel sleep education program for low-income preschool children and their families.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized trial of an educational intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-based.
  
  
  METHODS
  Head Start preschool families (n = 152) in greater Lansing and Detroit, Michigan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Classrooms or Head Start sites were randomized to an intervention group (prompt intervention) versus a control group (delayed intervention). Parents attended a one-time, 45-min sleep education program and preschoolers received 2 w (320 total min) of classroom sleep curriculum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parent knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and beliefs were assessed as the primary outcomes just before the 45-min sleep intervention, immediately postintervention, and approximately 1 mo postintervention. Parents reported their child's bedtimes and wake times on 7-day sleep diaries at baseline and at 1-mo follow-up. Average weeknight sleep durations and bedtimes served as secondary outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear mixed models showed a time × treatment effect for parents' knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy (each P < 0.05) but not beliefs. These improvements were found immediately postintervention but were not retained at 1-mo follow-up. Children in the intervention group improved their weeknight sleep duration at 1-mo follow-up by 30 min (11.0 ± 0.9 h vs. 10.5 ± 1.0 hours at baseline) compared to controls (10.4 ± 0.9 h versus 10.5 ± 0.9 h at baseline) (P = 0.04 for difference between groups). Children did not show statistically significant improvements in bedtime.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational interventions in early childhood can have an effect on parents' sleep knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy, and on children's sleep behavior. However, repeated exposure to the new information may be important for parents as well as their children.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders Center and Department of Neurology.
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development ; Department of Health Education and Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Social Medicine and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bonuck
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development ; Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
authors.forename: Julie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lumeng
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders Center and Department of Neurology.
authors.forename: Ronald D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Chervin
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012923:Social Class; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: bedtimes; curriculum; education; health behavior; intervention; preschool children; sleep; sleep duration; socioeconomic status