Journal
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA
Volume 18, Issue 4, Pages 849-+Publisher
W B SAUNDERS CO-ELSEVIER INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2009.04.003
Keywords
Sleep; Child; Development; Family; Culture
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Sleep is a biopsychosocial process that is influenced by the complex interaction of biologic rhythms, including sleep homeostatic mechanisms, chronobiologic factors, parenting, and temperament. However, family structure, culturally specific values, and beliefs are all elements that impact the ecology of a child's sleep. Dramatic demographic changes in many countries have been witnessed in recent years, which have resulted in health professionals and pediatricians being confronted with families of widely differing cultural origins. Attitudes and beliefs on infant sleeping strongly influence whether or not infant sleep behavior is perceived as problematic. Thus, it is advantageous to explore a child's sleep behavior in a multicultural setting. Cultural comparisons are of intrinsic value because they allow not only a better understanding of sleep in different contexts but also an evaluation of the eventual benefits and consequences of different cultural sleep practices. This article provides an overview of some specific sleep-related behaviors and practices highly influenced by different cultural contexts.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available