Turkish children’s bedtime routines during the COVID-19 pandemic: preliminary evaluation of the bedtime routines questionnaire

Abstract

ABSTRACT Children’s routines, including bedtime, have been disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. How parents engage in their children’s bedtime routines has not yet been examined in Turkey. The purpose of the current study was to understand the nature of children’s bedtime routines and how these routines contributed to their sleep behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers of 313 (143 girls) children aged between 16 and 84 months old (M = 52.42, SD = 12.36) completed questionnaires regarding children’s bedtime routines and sleep behaviors. The structure of the bedtime routines questionnaire was confirmed. Results from the regression analyses showed that routine environment was related to both bedtime resistance and sleep duration. Reactivity during bedtime was related to bedtime resistance. Results highlight the importance of consistent bedtime routines for quality sleep.