Association between Children’s Difficulties, Parent-Child Sleep, Parental Control, and Children’s Screen Time: A Cross-Sectional Study in Japan

Abstract

Children’s screen time may affect their growth and development. However, differences in the impact of various psychiatric and psychological factors on children’s screen time is a research gap. This study aimed to explore the differences in the influence of related factors affecting children’s screen time based on their sleep, difficulties, and parental control among Japanese elementary and junior high school students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents in Japan. Data on screen time duration, parent–child background, strengths and difficulties, sleep variables, and parental control types were collected from 225 households. A regression analysis revealed that high Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores (β = 0.166, p = 0.008), sleep duration (β = −0.281, p < 0.001), and parental control (β = −0.204, p = 0.001) were significantly related to children’s screen time. Additionally, it was found that parents’ late bedtimes affect children’s screen time by mediating children’s sleep duration. This study, together with previous research, provides comprehensive insights into design interventions to decrease the screen time of children in the Japanese context.

Case report: Nighttime media restriction for pediatric insomnia

“…Furthermore, employing an automatic time-limiting feature on digital devices may be a practical approach to decrease screen time. This aligns with reports that suggest significantly shorter screen time among users of this feature than among non-users (Arai et al, 2023), underscoring its potential efficacy as a therapeutic tool. The second key contribution is our discovery that enforced screen time restrictions following sleep hygiene education did not result in adverse events such as increased irritability or family conflict.…”

“…Considering the history of the patient, we identified nighttime media use as the main causal factor for his chronic insomnia; thus, we emphasized the importance of avoiding nighttime media use. Additionally, we explained the findings of a recent cross-sectional study, which showed that children who use screen time restrictions on their digital devices have shorter screen time compared to those who do not (Arai et al, 2023). This led the patient to introspect on the difficulty of self-managing media use.…”