Child, Family & Development / Child Wellbeing
SUB-T02-035Sleep and Circadian Health
Definition
Sleep and Circadian Health is the systematic study and design of conditions, interventions and safeguards affecting children or families within child wellbeing.
Why this matters
Children have evolving capabilities and limited power over many systems affecting them. Errors in sleep and circadian health can create developmental, relational, educational, health or safety consequences that persist.
Research questions
Which household and technology interventions most improve children's sleep timing, quality and daytime function?
Hypotheses
Reducing stimulating and socially demanding digital activity before bed will outperform device bans alone.
Proposed methods
validated wellbeing scales, ecological momentary assessment, sleep and activity measures where appropriate, qualitative interviews, subgroup analysis and longitudinal follow-up; adapted specifically to Sleep and Circadian Health; child-appropriate participatory methods; caregiver and practitioner input; age-stratified analysis; validated developmental measures; service-pathway testing; safeguarding review; delayed or longitudinal follow-up; implementation-fidelity assessment
Stakeholders and beneficiaries
children; families; clinicians; schools; youth services; public-health agencies; researchers; community organisations; sleep and circadian health specialists; lived-experience family advisory panel; independent child-rights reviewer