Impact of Beds for Kids Program on Child Sleep
Condition: Insufficient Sleep Syndrome; Inadequate Sleep Hygiene; Child Behavior Problems; Emotional Stress
MeSH terms: Sleep Deprivation; Problem Behavior
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of provision of a child bed
      through the Beds for Kids program on objectively measured child sleep, and on daily child
      behavioral functioning and caregiver functioning over a 14-day period for preschool-aged
      children.
    

Detailed description: 
      Many lower-socioeconomic status (SES) children live in crowded homes and lack their own bed,
      which can contribute to insufficient and poor quality sleep and related poor child and family
      functioning. The Beds for Kids program provides beds and bedding to disadvantaged children in
      Philadelphia, and has been found to positively impact parent-reported child sleep in a
      previous pilot study. However, there is a need to determine the impact of the Beds for Kids
      program on objectively assessed child sleep, as well as on daily child behavior and caregiver
      functioning (mood and sleep). The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the impact
      of provision of a child bed through the Beds for Kids program on objectively measured child
      sleep, and on daily child behavioral functioning and caregiver functioning over a 14-day
      period for preschool-aged children. This is a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
      Caregiver-child dyads will be assigned to the intervention group, in which they receive a bed
      through the Beds for Kids program after a 7-day period, or to the waitlist control group, in
      which they receive a bed after a 14-day period. The primary study outcome is the difference
      between study conditions in actigraph-derived and caregiver-reported child sleep (bedtime,
      bedtime variability, sleep quality, night wakings, total sleep duration) for days 7 to 14
      (bed vs control), as well as compared to baseline. Thus, this is a mixed between (bed vs
      waitlist) and within (days 1-7 vs days 8-14) group design.
    

Intervention name(s): Beds for Kids program
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): The Beds for Kids program, which is part of the non-profit organization One House at a Time, gives every child in the program a new twin-size bed mattress, metal bed frame, and a "bedtime bag," which contains a sheet set, blanket, pillow, several books, stuffed animal, and toothbrush. Children also receive educational messages about healthy sleep habits via a magnet and "color-your-own" bookmark. All of the items are sorted, packaged, and delivered directly to program recipients in their homes.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Caregiver-child dyads will be assigned to the intervention group, in which they receive a bed through the Beds for Kids program after a 7-day period, or to the waitlist control group, in which they receive a bed after a 14-day period.
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment