Effects of Screen Viewing Time on Sleep Duration and Bedtime in Children Aged 1 and 3 Years: Japan Environment and Children's Study

The influence of sleep patterns and screen time on the sleep needs of infants and toddlers: A cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of screen time and sleep patterns on the sleep needs of infants and toddlers.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional data were collected from 304 parents of children aged 6 to 36 months old. The screen use of children and parents was assessed with seven questions and A Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) was used to assess infant sleep.

RESULTS

The results of this study indicate that children's adherence to the recommended sleep standards is poor. The most important criteria that caused poor sleeping were the number of awakenings at night, the duration of sleeplessness at night and the minimum total sleep time of <9 h. The most frequently used screen type in all of the age groups and parents was TV, followed by smartphones. As the age of the children increased, the rate of all screen-type use also increased. Factors predicting sleep needs included bedtime, the PED usage of children, parents' watching TV and care of the children by the babysitter.

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep needs are associated with the sleep patterns and screen usage of the children and parents.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Given that screen usage behaviors are tracked from infancy to early childhood, these findings highlight the need for prevention and intervention efforts, as well as for education and policy measures, to limit screen use and exposure from an early age.

Association between Media Use and Bedtime Delays in Young Children: An Adjunct Study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Excessive screen media use has been reported to cause shorter sleep; however, the types of media environments that affect early childhood sleep are less known. This study examined the association of multiple media use, screen time for each device, and the purpose of smartphone and tablet use with delayed bedtime among 4–8-year-olds. Participants were recruited from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, a nationwide birth cohort study. Mothers of 1837 children reported screen media use and bedtime in a questionnaire. The association between delayed bedtimes (after 22:00 h) and media device use (smartphones, tablets, portable and console games, and TV/DVDs) was examined by logistic regression analysis. Children who used three or more devices besides TV/DVDs were more likely to have delayed bedtimes. Delayed bedtimes were associated with smartphone use, even with a 0.1–1 h/day screen time, and with prolonged screen time for tablets, portable games, and console games, but not for TV/DVDs. Gaming on smartphones and tablets was also associated with delayed bedtime. To ensure adequate sleep for young children, families must develop feasible measures to discourage children’s use of multiple devices and prolonged device use, especially for games, and a social environment that supports such measures.