Sleep in the modern family: protective family routines for child and adolescent sleep

Abstract

Study objectives The overall objective of the 2014 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll “Sleep in the Modern Family” was to obtain a current picture of sleep in families with at least 1 school-aged child. Design Cross-sectional poll. Setting Internet-based interview. Participants Nationally representative Internet panel of US households with a child 6–17 years. Measurements and results Primary measures included parental perception of the importance of sleep, parental and child sleep quality, child sleep duration and habits, technology in bedroom, and family rules. Parents/guardians (n= 1103; mean age, 42; 54% female) completed the survey. Although the majority of parents endorsed the importance of sleep, 90% of children obtain less sleep than recommended. Significant predictors of age-adjusted sufficient sleep duration (estimated conservatively as ≥9 hours for ages 6–11 years and ≥8 hours for ages 12–17 years) included parent education, regular enforcement of rules about caffeine, and whether children left technology on in their bedroom overnight. Significant predictors of excellent sleep quality included whether a bedtime was always enforced and whether children left technology on overnight. Conclusions Children generally have better age-appropriate sleep in the presence of household rules and regular sleep-wake routines. Sufficient sleep quantity and adequate sleep quality were protected by well-established rules of sleep hygiene (limited caffeine and regular bedtime). In contrast, sleep deficiency was more likely to be present when parents and children had electronic devices on in the bedroom after bedtime. Public health intervention goals for sleep health might focus on reducing the encroachment of technology and media into time for sleep and supporting well-known sleep hygiene principles.

Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents

“…13 Evidence suggests that media use can negatively affect sleep. 14 Studies show that those with higher social media use 15 or who sleep with mobile devices in their rooms 16 were at greater risk of sleep disturbances. Exposure to light (particularly blue light) and activity from screens before bed affects melatonin levels and can delay or disrupt sleep.…”

Sleep Quality And Chronotype Of Portuguese School-Aged Children

“…However, sleeping is a phenomenon that is not impervious to cultural and social factors, so we find that some cultures value a good night sleep more than others, the necessary sleeping time being undervalued in certain cultural and social contexts (Buxton, Chang, Spilsbury, Bos, Emsellem, & Knutson, 2015).…”

“…The adequate sleep quantity and quality will only exist if well-established sleep hygiene rules (no caffeine consumption and regular bedtime hours) are applied (Buxton et al, 2015). On the other hand, poor sleep quality is more likely to exist when parents and children assume the presence of electronic gadgets in the bedroom.…”

“…Research in Europe and the United States shows that most parents value the importance of sleep very positively, yet 90% of children sleep less than what is recommended (Buxton et al, 2015). Therefore, we found it pertinent to analyse the quality of sleep and chronotype characteristics of European school-aged children.…”

Future Directions in Sleep and Developmental Psychopathology

“…A single night of significant sleep loss (3 hr) has been shown to negatively impact outcomes in preschoolers (Schumacher et al, 2016). But it is more common for youth to chronically experience small amount of sleep loss (e.g., 30-60 min) every night across the school week, especially if there is technology in the bedroom (Buxton et al, 2015;Mindell et al, 2009). What role does this cumulative sleep debt have on the onset and/or maintenance of developmental psychopathology?…”