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

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.