Sleep Practices, Attitudes, and Beliefs in Inner City Middle School Children: A Mixed-Methods Study

The objective of this study was to utilize both semi-quantitative and qualitative data to examine the sociodemographic, social environmental, and behavioral context of sleep practices in a group of 64 middle school students enrolled in a summer camp program. Participants completed the Sleep Habits Survey; semi-structured interviews were used to collect data regarding sleep knowledge, perceived barriers to healthy sleep, consequences of inadequate sleep, sources of sleep information, and suggestions for improved sleep. Environmental and social factors figured prominently as perceived barriers to healthy sleep. Many of the respondents mentioned adult guidance regarding sleep habits as potentially helpful. Identification of predictive factors for insufficient sleep may be helpful in developing interventions to change sleep health risk behaviors in middle school populations.