The effect of the little yogis doing yoga program on making sleep habits in preschool children: Randomized controlled study

Objective: Sleep is critical for preschool children, and sleep-related problems are common in children in this age group. The study aims to determine the effect of the "Little Yogis Doing Yoga" Program on instilling sleep habits in children aged 5-6. Method: This randomized controlled trial consisted of 34 children (17 intervention and 17 control) aged 5-6 years who attended the kindergarten of a school in Antalya province between February 15 and June 15, 2023. The "Little Yogis Doing Yoga" Program within the scope of the study was completed in two groups for four weeks, two days a week, 30 minutes each. The data collected with the "Child and Family Introduction Form" and the "Child Sleep Habits Survey (CUAA) were analyzed with Pearson Chi-Square Test, Fisher's Exact Test, and t-test. Ethics committee approval and institutional permissions were obtained to conduct the research. Informed consent was obtained from the children's parents and verbal permission was obtained from the children. Results: Of the children in the study groups, 47% were girls and 53% were boys Additionally, 41.2% were aged 5 years, while 58.8% were aged 6 years. It was seen that the general levels of sleep habits of the children in the intervention and control groups did not differ but it was determined that the joint effect on the transition to sleep subscale scores was significant (p=0.001). Regarding the improvement in the performance of the participants after yoga, it was observed that 35% of them felt relaxed-calm, 29% felt sleepy, 12% responded that they were happy, %12 felt flexible and %12 felt energetic. Conclusion: It was observed that the "Little Yogis Doing Yoga" Program had no effect on instilling sleep habits in the 5-6-year-old children but had positive effects on children feeling good. Key words: Preschool Child, Sleep Habits, Yoga, Pediatric Nursing.