148 Sleep thief! Falling asleep with the TV on is related to shorter sleep duration among Latino/a children

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Abstract Introduction Sleep duration is associated with obesity in Latino/a children. However, little is known about Latino/a children’s bedtime behaviors who have a higher prevalence of obesity compared to white children. An improved understanding of Latino/a children’s bedtime behaviors is warranted to inform health promotion programs in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine bedtime activities and behaviors with sleep characteristics of Latino/a children. Methods Children of Mexican descent (8-10 years old) and their mothers (N=32) from the San Francisco Bay Area were invited to participate in a 3-week crossover study. Mothers completed a questionnaire on sleep behaviors (e.g., duration, disturbances) and activities 1 hour before bed (e.g., television viewing in bed, eating or drinking). Mother and child anthropometrics were measured. Preliminary bivariate analyses included: (1) a linear regression examining child weekday sleep duration (dependent) with child behavior before bed (independent), and (2) a logistic regression examining child sleep disturbances (dependent) with child behavior before bed (independent). Results The average child age was 9.71 (SD = 0.96); almost half of children were obese (47%) and their mothers (53%). Children slept on average 10.07 (SD= 2.36) hours on weekdays and 10.31 on weekends (SD = 2.21); 26% of children experienced difficulty falling asleep ≥ 1per week, 52% watched television in the hour before bed, and 21% watched television to fall asleep ≥ 1 per week. Mothers slept on average 6.07 (SD = 1.57) on weekends and 6.99 (SD =5.75) on weekdays. In the hour before bed, children consumed/drank cereal and/or waffles (59%), drank plain milk (38%), drank flavored milk (19%), and juice (16%). Watching television to fall asleep was associated with shorter sleep duration (B = -0.45, P = 0.03), with a trend toward significance with increased odds of difficulty falling asleep (OR = 5.0, P = 0.09). Conclusion Watching television to fall asleep may be a risk factor for shorter sleep duration and difficulty falling asleep. A larger study to examine sleep related factors, such as unhealthy practices before bed, is warranted to understand the high obesity prevalence among Latino/a children. Support (if any) K01HL129087 (PI: Martinez)