A School-Based Health And Mindfulness Curriculum Improves Children'S Objectively Measured Sleep

Abstract Introduction Children of low socioeconomic status (SES) experience shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality, as well as more daytime sleepiness, compared to children of higher SES. Early interventions teaching skills for managing stress may mitigate the effects of SES-associated stress on trajectories of physical and mental health. We examined effects of a school-based health and mindfulness curriculum, teaching stress management skills such as paced breathing, on sleep and stress in school-aged children. We hypothesized curriculum exposure would improve children’s ability to manage stress, and that this would improve objectively measured sleep (i.e., increase duration of total and REM sleep). Methods Using a prospective observational cohort design, we recruited 115 children (49 girls, ages eight to 11) from two Northern California school districts. Of these, 58 children attended a school district that delivered a health and mindfulness curriculum twice weekly during their physical education time. 57 children attended an SES-matched school district that delivered a traditional physical education curriculum. Ambulatory polysomnography and perceived social stress were measured at baseline (before curriculum exposure) and at one- and two-year follow-ups. Results Children receiving the curriculum gained an average of 74 minutes of total sleep and 24 minutes of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep per night during the two-year study period. Children not receiving the curriculum experienced a decrease in total sleep of 64 minutes per night, with no changes in REM sleep. Sleep improved within the first three months of curriculum exposure. Children who reported higher curriculum engagement (e.g., using the breathing exercises at home) experienced larger changes in sleep architecture and perceived social stress. Social stress did not mediate effects of the curriculum on sleep. Conclusion We conducted the first study to examine effects of a school-based health and mindfulness curriculum on children’s objectively measured sleep. Children from a low-SES community who received the curriculum experienced increased total and REM sleep, compared to an SES-matched cohort not receiving the curriculum. Mindfulness training may have increased awareness of stress, while developing tools to reduce stress vulnerability. These results warrant additional investigation to assess whether benefits persist after curriculum cessation and/or generalize to other populations. Support (if any):