Embodying and embedding children's sleep: some sociological comments and observations

Pam K. Lowe, Simon J. Williams, Frances Griffiths

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper, drawing on our own research findings data, explores the embodiment and embedment of sleeping in children's everyday/night lives. Key themes here include children's attitudes and feelings toward the dormant body, the processes, routines and rituals associated with going to bed and going to sleep, issues associated with bedrooms and privacy, and finally the relationship between dormancy and domicile. This in turn provides the basis, in the remainder of the paper, for a further series of reflections on the mutually informing relations between the sociology of sleep and the sociology of childhood. Remaining questions and challenges involved in researching children's sleep are also considered. Sleep, it is concluded, is not simply a rich and fascinating sociological topic in its own right it also has the potential to shed valuable new light on a significant yet hitherto under-researched part of children's lives, contributing important new insights in doing so.
Original languageEnglish
JournalSociological research online
Volume12
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007

Keywords

  • children
  • childhood
  • sleep
  • sociology
  • embodiment

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