Sleep, Nutrition and Psychological Functioning in Kindergarten Children

Summary

The proposed study has the following aims: (a) to assess the concomitant and longitudinal links between sleep and cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning in kindergarten children; (b) to assess the immediate and the long-term effects of an intervention to promote healthy sleep habits (HSI) on the child's evolving sleep patterns, as well as on related cognitive, behavioral and health domains; (c) to assess the immediate and the long-term effects of an intervention deigned to promote healthy nutrition (HNI) on the eating habits of children, their weight and BMI measures (the comparison/control group) and (d) to assess the links between eating habits and sleep in kindergarten children.

The main hypotheses of the proposed study are: (a) Shorter and more disrupted sleep would be concomitantly and longitudinally associated with compromised cognitive, emotional and behavioral functioning in kindergarten children; (b) In comparison to the HNI group, children in the HSI group will extend their total sleep time, improve their sleep quality and their sleep schedule will be more stable following the intervention; (c) improvement in sleep habits will be associated with improvement in cognitive, emotional and behavioral functioning; (d) in comparison to the HIS group, children in the HNI group will improve their eating habits, engage in more physical activities and better manage to achieve and maintain an age-appropriate body weight.

Conditions

• Prevention Harmful Effects

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Healthy Sleep intervention

Healthy Sleep Intervention (HSI)- This online interactive e-learning system will include information for parents on the following topics: (a) establishing appropriate bedtime, including how to assess the sleep needs of their child, how to establish regular bedtime and overall sleep schedule, how to deal with daytime naps; (b) establishing a regular and enjoyable bedtime routine (e.g. bedtime stories); (c) coping with bedtime resistance, setting limits to excessive demands, rewarding appropriate sleep related behaviors; (d) coping with bedtime and nighttime fears, strategies to deal with separation anxieties, fears of darkness, scary imaginative creatures etc; (e) coping with excessive night-wakings and eliminating potential reinforcing consequences; (f) coping with nightmares, night terrors and other parasomnias (e.g., night-walking).

BEHAVIORAL

Healthy Nutrition intervention

Healthy Nutrition Intervention (HNI)- This online system will include information for parents on the following issues: (a) increasing awareness and making healthy food choices; (b) increasing appeal of healthy food by games, rewards, and child involvement in preparation and cooking; (c) setting rules regarding proper eating environment, family meals and schedules; (d) limiting the presence of unhealthy food and beverage temptations at home; (e) limiting TV and other screen time and increasing physical activities; (f) encouraging parents to be positive role models for all these principles.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Israel Science Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Tel Aviv University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Avi Sadeh, Ds.c. · Tel Aviv University

• Geila Rozen, PhD · Rambam Health Care Campus

• Ron Shaoul, M.D. · Rambam Health Care Campus

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

3 Years

Max Age

6 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-03-31

Primary Completion

2018-11-30

Completion

2019-12-31

Countries

• Israel

Study Locations