Study of sleep pattern in children aged 1-12 years attending OPD at tertiary care hospital, Puducherry, India

Abstract

Background: Children differ in their sleep pattern from adults and within their developmental age groups. Good sleep habits help them in better sleep outcomes. Inadequate sleep can contribute to various health issues. Hence, this study was carried out to find out sleep pattern in children and identify factors affecting it so that suitable measures can be taken to ensure good sleep hygiene in children.Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study done in children aged 1-12 years. Every 5th child who attended OPD were included. Children who were very sick or had chronic illness or pain were excluded. Details pertaining to sleep was recorded after written parental consent.Results: The total sample size was 650. The mean age was 6.25±3.2 years. The mean bed time and wake up time was 9.18 pm±(1.02) and 6.41 am±(0.85) respectively. The mean night sleep duration was 9.38±1.05 hours. Co-sleeping was 97.5%. Sleep problem was seen in 51.1%. Screen time >2 hours contributed to late bedtime and insomnia. Reduced physical activity/exercise was significantly associated with sleep problems.Conclusions: Sleep problems and poor sleep habits are common among children. Increased screen time and reduced physical activities in children contribute to poor sleep habits and sleep problem.

Sleep Pattern and Problems in Young Children Visiting Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Level Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal

“…The practice of cosleeping forms a natural part of parenting in eastern culture [ 16 , 17 ], and the finding is similar in our study which showed that a large number of young children sleep with their parents in the same bed. The finding is further supported by the findings of a study done in India which reported that cosleeping is about 97.5% [ 6 ]. Though supine sleep position is generally recommended for infants to prevent the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) [ 18 ], in our study, the most common sleeping position was found to be lateral.…”

“…Behavioral sleep disorders may manifest as sleep onset delay, sleep interruptions, early morning awakening, or a combination of these [ 5 ]. Research studies have shown that sleep problems are common in up to 10.5% in toddlers, and the most common problem in these young children is difficulty in falling asleep [ 6 ]. Sleep problems, consequently, can lead to inattention [ 7 , 8 ] and hyperactivity among children leading to daytime sleepiness [ 7 ].…”

A comparative study assessing sleep duration and associated factors among adolescents studying in different types of schools in an urban area of Kerala, India

“…Weekend oversleep can dysregulate the circadian rhythm and prolong school night sleep onset latency. [2569101112] The sleep duration decreased with increasing age and grades. Another study done among urban adolescents showed similar results of sleep disturbances and deprivation with increased age and grades.…”

“…This is comparable with findings of the study done in Puducherry. [5] Decreasing parental supervision and academic pressure among highly educated may be a reason behind this. There is paucity of data from developing country settings to do comparisons.…”

“…[4] Unlike adults, children do not usually complain of sleep problems or seek treatment. [5] Studies done abroad have shown variations in the sleep pattern of children studying in different settings. [6] Unfortunately, sleep is a neglected topic, and there are very few studies exploring sleep pattern in India.…”