Morning‐Evening Preference: Sleep Pattern Spectrum and Lifestyle Habits Among Japanese Junior High School Pupils

Abstract

We surveyed the sleep-wake patterns and lifestyle habits in a sample of Japanese first to third year junior high school children (n=638, age 12 to 15 yrs), of whom 29.3% were evening type, 64.1% intermediate type, and 6.6% morning type in preference. The morningness-eveningness (M-E) score was lower (more evening typed), 16.1 vs. 15.4 in first compared to third year students. There were significant gender differences, with girls showing a greater evening preference. Evening preference was associated with longer sleep latency, shortened sleep duration during schooldays and weekends, bad morning feeling, and episodes of daytime sleepiness. In contrast, morning preference was associated with higher sleep drive and better sleep-wake parameters and lifestyle habits. Our results suggest the morning preference should be promoted among junior high school children to increase the likelihood of more regular sleep-wake patterns and lifestyle habits.

Sonolência diurna excessiva em adolescentes: prevalência e fatores associados

“…Gaina et al (6) 9.718, Japão Questionário n.a. (8) , embora não tenha sido selecionado para avaliação na revisão sistemática e não conter uma amostra representativa, identificou altas prevalências de sonolência em adolescentes de São Paulo, trabalhadores e não-trabalhadores, chegando a mais de 70% em alguns dias da semana.…”

“…Não obstante, profissionais das áreas de saúde e educação, mesmo que de forma tímida, vêm se conscientizando da importância dos aspectos relacionados ao sono e sonolência para o aprendizado e saúde dos escolares (4) . Divergências quanto à prevalência de sonolência diurna excessiva em adolescentes em função dos instrumentos de análise utilizados, populações investigadas e dos procedimentos adotados nas pesquisas são apontadas pela literatura (2,(5)(6)(7) . A sonolência diurna excessiva é considerada uma sensação subjetiva de necessidade de sono e está associada à diminuição do rendimento no trabalho e na escola, afetando negativamente a aprendizagem, a interação social e a qualidade de vida (7,8) .…”

Irregular Sleep Habits of Parents Are Associated with Increased Sleep Problems and Daytime Sleepiness of Children

“…Several factors were reported to negatively correlate with sleep patterns of both children and adolescents (Tazawa and Okada 2001;Ohida et al 2004;Van den Bulck 2004;Gaina et al 2006). Media use habits, such as television viewing, playing computer games, and internet use, led to delayed bedtime among children (Tazawa and Okada 2001;Van den Bulck 2004;Gaina et al 2006).…”

“…Media use habits, such as television viewing, playing computer games, and internet use, led to delayed bedtime among children (Tazawa and Okada 2001;Van den Bulck 2004;Gaina et al 2006). The International Classification of Sleep Disorders (2nd edition) indicates that inadequate limit setting by parents or caregivers may lead to delayed sleep onset in children (American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2005).…”

Morningness-eveningness and Fatigue in Adolescence

“…In addition to biological factors, psychosocial factors can also explain some of the sex differences. Thus, for example, Gaina et al (28) point to differences in leisure time and believe that adolescent boys have a greater tendency towards morningness because they are generally more engaged in sports and spend more time exposed to daylight. Furthermore, the finding in this study that adolescents feel more fatigue with age and pubertal maturity and that girls experience more fatigue symptoms than boys is expected and consistent with findings from other studies (29)(30)(31).…”