1. EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO A SENSE OF STABILITY AND SECURITY.
A simple, consistent nightly ritual offers the secure space children need to feel safe.
A multinational study of over 10,000 mothers from 14 countries shows that bedtime routines matter. Dr. Jodi Mindell, principal investigator, said, “We found that this effect is universal…It doesn’t matter if you are a parent of a young child in the United States, India, or China, having a bedtime routine makes a difference.” Researchers found that having a consistent sleep schedule, a calming sleep environment, and a positive routine decreases the amount of time before children fall asleep and increases their duration of sleep.
On average, children who have a bedtime ritual sleep more than an hour longer than children who have never had a routine. Another recent study out of the UK surveying 10,000 children showed that children who have irregular bedtimes are more likely to face behavioral issues such as hyperactivity, acting out, and being
emotionally withdrawn later on. Pajama Program wants all children to have a reassuring “safe-zone” at the end of the day.
2. EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO FEEL LOVED AND CARED FOR AT BEDTIME.
In Good Night, Sweet Dreams, I Love You—Now Get Into Bed and Go to Sleep!, Dr. Patrick Friman emphasizes that love is the most important aspect of pre-bedtime rituals:
“Children should go to bed experiencing being loved, and as night continues, that feeling should linger in the air. The reason I stress love so much here is that the experience of being loved, of being part of something, of being very, very important to someone, of being thought of and thought of well—makes any difficult journey easier.”
Friman analogises preparing a child for bed to sending them off on an adventure, seeing as this is the longest stretch of time they will spend alone. This journey might fill them with fear of the dark night, which is why it is crucial for children to know they are loved each night before bed.
“I think it’s important for children to feel loved and cared for at all times—not just at night. But at night is the most difficult time,” says Jamie Dyce, Pajama Program’s Executive Director. “At night is when you’re alone with your thoughts and things keep creeping up.”
When a child feels most vulnerable, we want adults there to remind them that someone cares so they fall asleep knowing they are loved.
3. EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO WEAR FRESH, CLEAN PAJAMAS TO BED AND TO ENJOY A BEDTIME STORY THAT FIRES THEIR IMAGINATION.
Curling up with a bedtime story in clean pajamas is a part of childhood for a reason: it is a symbol of love and safety. According to Sheldon Cherry, MD, professor at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in NYC, “The clothing a child spends 8-10 hours sleeping in is important to a child’s well-being. New pajamas are a necessary part of promoting good health and preventing infections and disease, as well as providing psychological benefits.”
Just as pajamas are key to children’s physical and psychological health, storybooks are invaluable for children’s imaginations. In a 2015 pediatrics study, researchers found that children who listen to stories show significantly more activity in the areas of the brain responsible for visual association, even without looking at any pictures. Dr. John S. Hutton, a clinical research fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, explains how children use their mind’s eye to visualize when they hear a story. Storybooks help spark creativity in a way that technology simply cannot, since videos do not require children to imagine the story. Moreover, a good story lets a child escape from his day-to-day and dream of a better tomorrow.
The pajamas and stories we give to children are magical gifts that transform bedtime into a comforting ritual for children, affording them a positive, nurturing space in the critical time before they drift off to sleep.
4. EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO FEEL VALUED AND VALIDATED AS A HUMAN BEING.
Pajama Program volunteers build meaningful connections with children who are often forgotten by society—invisible due to adverse socioeconomic circumstances beyond their control. From our combined efforts, children will know what it is like to share, to be seen, and to be valued.
For children in unstable living conditions, having personal objects can mean everything to them. In a moving speech, Zenia Zuniga, a Pajama Program Chapter President, explained how her childhood possessions were lost or thrown away while growing up between foster homes. Personal effects are much more than mere objects. In “The Psychology of Stuff and Things,” Christian Jarrett discusses how children become attached to their belongings. Blankets, toys, and pacifiers are common transitional objects for young children, although a child could select other items, such as a piece of clothing. In one study, researchers found that, when asked, children often refused to have their attachment objects copied and the majority those who allowed researchers to duplicate their object preferred their original item.
“It’s as if the children believed their special object had a unique essence, a form of magical thinking that re-appears in adulthood in our treatment of heirlooms, celebrity memorabilia, and artwork,” explains Jarrett. Along these lines, the pajamas and books we give to children hold the essence of unconditional love.
This is the foundation of everything we do: with love, nighttime is more comforting, and daytime is more fulfilling. Through the act of giving and sharing, children experience a genuine sense of belonging.
5. EVERY CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO A GOOD NIGHT AND A GOOD DAY.
Pajama Program is dedicated to closing the 24-hour Good Day Loop of positivity that helps children self-actualize their dreams. This loop includes a bedtime ritual, a loving good night, and a restful night’s sleep, which then leads to an optimistic good day. “Our work is far more than cloth and words on a page,” explains Dyce. “We want people to care, to understand that sleep hygiene is an issue. All of the organizations that exist to improve the daytime for children—their work can’t begin if the children don’t first receive a good night’s rest.”
Closing the Good Day Loop means truly understanding how good nights lead to good days and supporting the adults responsible for putting children to bed. Going forward, Pajama Program will help educate adult caregivers on how to support children in getting a good night’s sleep. “We want to listen to them to understand how we can best help, and then raise awareness in a productive way… We need the support of all communities, so that, when the children open their eyes in the morning and face each day, they know that bright futures await them,” said Dyce.
Pajama Program is committed to defending every child’s right to a good night,
because we understand that Good Nights are Good Days.