Television use and its effects on sleep in early childhood

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of television (TV) viewing and bedroom TV presence on young children's sleep as measured by actigraphy. Design: Analyses of covariance were run to examine differences in sleep duration and quality among children based on the presence of TVs in their bedrooms and the amount of TV watched. Setting: Recruited in preschools in Massachusetts; recorded ambulatory (in home, environs). Participants: Participants were 470 children between 33 and 71 months of age (M = 51.02). Measurements: Children were instructed to wear an actigraph watch for 16-days. Caregivers reported demographic information, completed behavior questionnaires, and answered questions regarding their child's TV use. Results: Children who watched more TV and had TVs in their bedroom displayed significantly shorter sleep duration and worse sleep, but they also napped significantly longer in the daytime. Nonetheless, total 24-hour sleep was shorter for those who watched more TV and had TVs in their bedroom compared to those who did not have TVs in their bedrooms or watch TV frequently. Children who had TVs in their bedrooms watched TV later at night, watched more adult TV programs, and had higher negative affect than children without TVs in their bedrooms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that TV use in young children does impact sleep duration and quality as measured by actigraphy, and daytime napping does not offset these negative impacts.

The Relationships between Screen Use and Health Indicators among Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

“…The majority of studies (23/24) narrated a positive association between screen time and sleep problems [ 19 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 56 , 70 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ]. Children being exposed to screen media use had a higher likelihood of having sleeping problems.…”

Association between children's sleep patterns and problematic behaviors at age 5

“…also reported a significant association between television watching time and shortened sleep duration in early childhood 33 . Another study found that children with a television in their bedroom had shorter sleep duration than children with no television in their bedroom 34 …”

“…33 Another study found that children with a television in their bedroom had shorter sleep duration than children with no television in their bedroom. 34 In terms of birth abnormalities, birth trauma often causes circadian rhythm disorders in children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, resulting in sleep disorders. 35 Mothers are also reported to feel stress more strongly than fathers when their infants have a sleep disorder.…”

Cross-Sectional Associations of 24-Hour Sedentary Time, Physical Activity, and Sleep Duration Compositions with Sleep Quality and Habits in Preschoolers

“…Third, we did not control for screen time in our models, which may act as a confounder in the relationship between 24-h movement behaviors and sleep quality. However, we have separately reported the impact of television on sleep in this population [ 62 ]. Finally, as these analyses were cross-sectional, causal relationships cannot be inferred.…”