Sleep Health in School-Aged Children: A Qualitative Study of Community-Based Pediatric Providers’ Perspectives and Practices

Despite its importance for general health, sleep health is inconsistently addressed in pediatric primary care, particularly in minority and low-income school-aged children. This study aimed to (1) explore providers' knowledge, perspectives, and practices related to sleep health in this population and (2) identify opportunities for improving education in clinical settings. Semi-structured interviews were developed and conducted with 12 pediatric providers from 3 community health care centers. Major themes were classified as (1) practitioner sleep health beliefs, (2) screening/anticipatory guidance, (3) caregiver and (4) provider barriers to supporting healthy sleep, and (5) educational recommendations. Results suggest that community-based pediatric providers recognize sleep health as a critical component of child well-being but also describe gaps in their knowledge, obstacles in clinical practice, and real-world challenges for caregivers, especially in resource-limited communities. The findings underscore the importance of advancing provider sleep health education and promoting evidence-based guidelines to help reduce sleep health disparities.