Hygienic Characteristics of Sleep Patterns in Elementary School Children

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep disturbance is a widespread and very significant sociomedical problem, the solution of which is largely dependent on preventive measures ensuring compliance with the relevant hygienic requirements. Objective: To assess the sleep schedule and risks of its breaking on school days and weekends in elementary school children. Materials and methods: In February–March 2022, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey of parents of 302 first to fourth graders (mean age: 8.21 ± 0.75 years) attending a gymnasium in the town of Balashikha, Moscow Region, to assess sleep patterns and reveal sleep disturbances in the children. Using nonparametric methods and statistical analysis programs, the relative risk (RR), odds ratio (OR), etiological fraction (EF), and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results: We found that on school days, only 30.9 % of children went to bed before 9 p.m. while 15.8 % fell asleep after 10 p.m. The recommended sleep duration of more than 10 hours was observed only in 21.4 % of the schoolchildren. On weekends, the proportion of children going to bed after 10 p.m. increased to 42.6 %. Complaints of various sleep disorders were registered in 65.9 % of the children. The most pronounced risks of complaints of difficulty falling asleep were noted on weekends when going to bed after 11 p.m. (RR = 2.28; CI = 1.24–4.19; EF = 56 %). When going to bed after midnight, the risk of complaints of sleep disturbance increased (RR = 2.42; CI = 1.22–4.80; EF = 59 %). Conclusion: Our findings indicate a high prevalence of sleep disorders in elementary school children having an adverse effect on their well-being. The established risks of sleep disturbance should be taken into account when assessing and monitoring the compliance of sleep schedule with health requirements.