35: Availability and Use of Electronic Media is Associated with Shorter Sleep Duration and Poorer Sleep Quality in School-Aged Children

Abstract

Background: Sleep is essential for healthy development. However, school-aged children are not getting the recommended number of hours of sleep each night. Research suggests that electronic media use is associated with shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality in pediatric populations. Few studies have examined this connection in school-aged children and none have employed objective measurements of sleep. Objectives: The aim of the current study is to examine the association between electronic media use and sleep timing and quality in school age children using objective sleep measures. Design/Methods: Participants included 48 school-aged children (mean [± SD] age 8.5±1.6 years). Sleep was assessed objectively using actigraphy, a wrist-watch used to examine sleep-wake patterns by assessing movement. Variables of interest included sleep duration, sleep latency, and sleep continuity. Electronic media use was assessed via parental reports of media availability and the Children's Leisure Activities Study Survey. Electronic media variables included screen time exposure (ie, time spent watching TV/videos, playing videogames, and using the computer), and availability of electronic media (ie, TV, DVD and MP3 players, computer, radio, video game console, and cell phone) in the bedroom. Results: More screen time was associated with significantly shorter sleep duration sleep, poor sleep efficiency, and increased sleep fragmentation (r=-0.40, P<0.01; r=-0.34, P<0.05; r=0.45, P<0.01, respectively). More time spent playing video games was associated with shorter sleep duration, poor sleep continuity (r=-0.54, P<0.01; r=-0.29, P<0.05; r=0.46, P<0.01, respectively). 12% of children had a computer in their bedroom, which was found to be strongly associated with longer sleep latency, later sleep onset, and later sleep end time (r=0.50, P<0.01; r=0.49, P<0.01; r=0.42, P<0.01, respectively). Conclusions: This study shows that there are significant associations between use and availability of electronic media and poorer sleep as measured by actigraphy in school-aged children. These findings support previous research utilizing subjective measures of sleep in adolescents and help shed light on the potential factors at play in the context of sleep deprivation in younger age groups.