Summary: A new study finds that strong family bonds and active parental engagement are associated with longer, healthier sleep in children aged roughly 9 to 11. Everyday routines such as eating dinner together, talking about plans for the next day, and taking part in neighborhood activities correlated with higher rates of sufficient sleep, while frequent screen-based social interactions and family conflict were linked to shorter sleep duration.
The research emphasizes social connectedness—how children relate to family, friends and their local community—as an important, actionable factor in pediatric sleep health. Strengthening these social ties could be a promising approach for parents, clinicians, and public health programs that aim to support better sleep and overall well-being in pre-teens.
Key Facts:
- Family routines support sleep: Children who regularly shared family dinners or discussed plans with parents were more likely to sleep for a sufficient duration.
- Technology and conflict reduce sleep: Greater engagement in technology-mediated relationships and more household conflict predicted shorter sleep.
- Intervention opportunity: Because social connectedness relates to sleep, it represents a practical focus for pediatric sleep health initiatives and family-centered interventions.
Source: AASM
Study overview
Presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting, the study analyzed survey data from 4,996 children between the ages of approximately 8.9 and 11 years. The sample was 48% female and 62.5% white. Participants and their caregivers completed at least two surveys during May and August 2020, and sleep duration was reported by caregivers.
Researchers examined multiple aspects of social connectedness, including family routines (shared meals, conversations about daily plans), neighborhood participation, parent engagement, family conflict, household distancing, and time spent in technology-mediated social interactions. Results were adjusted for likely confounders including sex, age, race, and household income to better isolate the associations between social factors and sleep duration.
Major findings
When social connectedness variables were grouped into clusters, the highest rates of sufficient sleep were observed in clusters characterized by high parental engagement—examples included families who ate together and who discussed plans for the next day. In these clusters, about half of children met recommended sleep duration thresholds (50.85%), with specific behaviors like eating together and planning associated with rates around 47–48%.
Conversely, clusters marked by heavy reliance on technology-mediated social connections or by poor family and friend relationships with low parental engagement showed the lowest proportions of children achieving sufficient sleep, with rates near 40–42%.
The study did not establish causation; rather, it identified consistent associations that suggest stronger, in-person family and community connections are linked with healthier sleep patterns among pre-teens, while more screen-based interaction and family conflict correspond with shorter sleep.
Expert perspective
Lead author Marie Gombert-Labedens, a postdoctoral researcher at SRI International with expertise in circadian rhythms and childhood obesity, noted that it was notable to find multiple aspects of social connectedness predicting sufficient sleep duration. The findings point to social relationships as an important and potentially modifiable influence on children’s sleep.
Clinical context
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children aged 6 to 12 regularly sleep 9 to 12 hours to support optimal health. Given that sleep duration influences many areas of development and daily functioning, identifying social and family-based factors that promote adequate sleep can help shape family practices and public health messages.
Implications and next steps
Because the study suggests clear links between social behaviors and sleep duration, interventions that encourage consistent family routines—such as regular shared mealtimes, evening planning conversations, and community participation—may help improve sleep in pre-teen children. Future research can build on these findings by testing targeted family-based or community programs and by exploring the mechanisms through which social connectedness influences sleep.
Funding: This study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health within the National Institutes of Health.
About this sleep and neurodevelopment research news
Author: Hannah Miller
Source: AASM
Contact: Hannah Miller – AASM
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: The findings will be presented at SLEEP 2025