Sleep habits and electronic device use in primary school children

Luís Condeço, Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, IPV, Viseu; Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde e Enfermagem, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto; Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem (UICISA:E), Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, Viseu; Portugal
Cátia Lopes, Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, IPV, Viseu, Portugal
Pedro Pinho, Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, IPV, Viseu, Portugal
Rúben Fernandes, Department, Escola Superior de Saúde de Viseu, IPV, Viseu, Portugal
Sónia Santos, Serviço de Pediatria, ULS da Guarda, Hospital Sousa Martins, Guarda; Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã. Portugal

Introduction and Objectives: Excessive screen use by children may compromise sleep quality, school performance, and overall health. This study aims to explore parents’ and primary caregivers’ perceptions regarding the sleep habits of school-aged children (six to ten years old), as well as to identify the electronic devices they use and their screen exposure. Methods: Quantitative, descriptive-correlational, and cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sample of 365 parents or primary caregivers of children attending primary school in a municipality in inland Portugal. A sociodemographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on the use of technologies, and the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire were administered, the latter having been validated for the Portuguese population. Results: On average, children went to bed at 9:33 p.m. on weekdays and at 9:41 p.m. on weekends. The presence of electronic devices in the home was high, with computers, mobile phones, tablets, televisions, and gaming consoles being the most common. During the week, 45.5% of children used screens for less than one hour per day, while on weekends, 38.1% used them for one to two hours per day. Children with higher screen use during the week exhibited greater sleep-related anxiety (p = 0.023). On weekends, screen use exceeding three hours was significantly associated with several sleep disturbances, including anxiety (p = 0.006), daytime sleepiness (p = 0.020), and nighttime awakenings (p = 0.020). Discussion: Prolonged screen time is associated with changes in sleep patterns and quality in school-age children, which reinforces the need for educational strategies aimed at families. Excessive screen use is linked to poorer sleep quality.

Keywords: Sleep. Child. Digital technology. Sleep habits. Sleep wake disorders.