Abstract
Children are increasingly exposed to electronic media, which can potentially influence their sleep habits. However, few studies have investigated the effects of children’s life patterns on sleep habits and electronic media usage. This study investigated the differences in sleep habits and electronic media usage between 18- and 42-month-old children attending nursery schools, kindergartens, or staying at home, and respectively enrolled 183 (boys, n = 93; girls, n = 90) and 215 (boys, n = 104; girls, n = 111) 18- and 42-month-old children who underwent health check-ups. We found that 18-month-old children attending nursery school had significantly earlier wake times on weekdays and shorter sleep durations on weekends than children who stayed at home despite no differences in electronic media usage. There were no differences in sleep duration among 42-month-old children attending nursery schools, kindergartens, or staying at home; however, kindergarteners demonstrated a higher use of portable and home video games. Different life patterns affect electronic media usage in preschool children, especially those attending kindergarten. Particular attention should be paid to the higher usage of electronic media devices by kindergarteners, although they had the same sleep duration, as did other preschool children.
Highlights
Sleep is vital for physical and psychological well-being, especially in infants and children [1].Sleep-wake regulation and sleep states evolve rapidly during the first year of life and continue to mature throughout childhood
There has been a sharp increase in the availability and use of electronic media devices, such as smartphones, tablet devices, portable games, home video games, and computers, which have all had a strong influence on children’s lives
Among the 18-month-old children, those who stayed at home had a longer sleep duration on weekends and they woke up later than those who attended nursery school
Summary
Sleep is vital for physical and psychological well-being, especially in infants and children [1]. Sleep-wake regulation and sleep states evolve rapidly during the first year of life and continue to mature throughout childhood. The circadian rhythm begins to emerge at approximately 10–12 weeks of age, after which infant sleep becomes predominantly nocturnal [2]. Children aged between 1 and 4 years continue to take daytime naps to achieve their sleep requirements; on reaching. 5 years of age, daytime napping ceases and, concurrently, overnight sleep duration gradually declines throughout childhood [3]. It has been reported that American children and adolescents aged between 8 and 18 years spend an average of 7 h a day on entertainment media, Int. J. Public Health 2020, 17, 5189; doi:10.3390/ijerph17145189 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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