Abstract
Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parent-focused intervention aimed at the promotion of healthy sleep patterns and controlled exposure to electronic media (EM) in young adolescents. Participants: The sample included 70 dyads of parents (68 mothers and 2 fathers) and adolescents. Intervention and control groups each consisted of 35 young adolescents with a mean age of 10.7 (0.9) years old. Methods: Three waves of data collection included baseline, post-intervention, and 3 month follow-up. In each wave, adolescents reported habitual electronic media exposure and sleep patterns for a week and wore an actigraph for five nights. Parents in the intervention group participated in a six-session interactive workshop, while parents in the control group received equivalent written information by mail. Results: The intervention led to earlier bedtimes (p < 0.001), increased sleep efficiency (p < 0.01), increased sleep duration (p < 0.001) and reduced video games exposure (p < 0.01). Benefits were maintained at the follow-up. Conclusion: Interventions tailored for parents can create lasting positive changes in sleep patterns and EM exposure in young adolescents.
Highlights
In the past two decades, studies have demonstrated that increased screen time or use of electronic media (EM), including television, computer games, internet, and mobile phones, is a major contributor to poor sleep patterns [1,2]
In a systematic review dealing with the association between screen time and sleep outcomes among school-aged children and adolescents, screen time was found to be adversely associated with sleep outcomes, primarily shortened sleep duration and delayed bedtime [3,4]
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parent-focused intervention aimed to promote healthy sleep patterns and controlled exposure to EM in young adolescents
Summary
In the past two decades, studies have demonstrated that increased screen time or use of electronic media (EM), including television, computer games, internet, and mobile phones, is a major contributor to poor sleep patterns [1,2]. The Food, Emotions, Routine, Restrict, Environment, and Timing (“FERRET”) intervention instructed adolescents to refrain from EM at least 30 min before bedtime, from exercise three hours before bedtime, and to perform no other activities in bed except for sleep [11]. Despite improved scores on sleep knowledge questions, there was no change in objective sleep duration In another randomized trial of high school athletes, restricting EM after 10:00 p.m. did not improve sleep measurements [12]. Restriction of mobile phone use one hour before bedtime for one school week increased total sleep time by 21 min; recruitment bias challenges the feasibility of such an intervention, as the adolescent population at large would likely not be motivated or committed to such a change in their mobile phone use [13]
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