Falling Asleep Watching Television as a Risk Factor for Sleep Disturbance in School Age Adormecer a Ver Televisão como Fator de Risco para Perturbação do Sono na Idade Escolar

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Sandra Afonso - Corresponding Author

Rua Mário Botas, 1998-018 Lisboa, Portugal

Filipe Glória e Silva
Cláudia Rocha Silva
Ana Serrão Neto

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between falling asleep watching television and sleep disturbances in school age children.


MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study, involving 17 elementary schools in Lisbon, Setúbal Peninsula and Alentejo. The sleep habits were evaluated with the Portuguese version of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ-PT).


RESULTS: A total of 1080 questionnaires were analyzed, from children aged 6 to 10 years. Falling asleep watching television occurred usually in 167 children (16.8%), sometimes in 294 children (29.5%) and rarely in 535 children (53.7%). Comparing children in extreme subgroups (usually and rarely, n= 702), children with the habit of falling asleep watching television developed more sleep problems with higher odds on the following scales (p < 0.001): Sleep disturbance Index, Bedtime Resistance, Sleep Duration, Sleep Anxiety, Night Awakenings, Parasomnias and Daytime Sleepiness. There was a positive correlation between the habit of falling asleep watching television with the Sleep Disorder Index (0.27) and inverse with parents' education (-0.22).


CONCLUSION: The habit of falling asleep watching television can be seen as a risk factor for sleep disturbance, and this topic should be addressed in the child health surveillance appointments as primary prevention.

Keywords: Child; Sleep; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Television

Article Details

1.
Afonso S, Silva FG e, Silva CR, Neto AS. Falling Asleep Watching Television as a Risk Factor for Sleep Disturbance in School Age: Adormecer a Ver Televisão como Fator de Risco para Perturbação do Sono na Idade Escolar. Gaz Med [Internet]. 2019 Jun. 28 [cited 2024 Dec. 26];6(2). Available from: https://gazetamedica.pt/index.php/gazeta/article/view/263
Section
ORIGINAL

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