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Sleep and new media usage in toddlers

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Abstract

Several studies over the years have demonstrated the association between lack of sleep in children and certain physical, psychological, and behavioral disorders. The aim of this study was to disentangle the association between new screen-based electronic devices and sleep problems in toddlers, adjusting for other covariates already known to be associated with sleep quality. We conducted a cross-sectional study with the aid of a national sample of 1117 toddlers. Parents reported children’s sleeping habits such as total sleep time and sleep onset latency, recreational activities, bedtime routines, and temperament. An ordered logistic regression was run to assess the associations between new media exposure and two sleep outcomes (total sleep time and sleep onset latency). Everyday use of a tablet or smartphone raised the odds of a shorter total sleep time (OR 1.95 [1.00–3.79], p < 0.05) and a longer sleep onset latency (OR 2.44 [1.26–4.73] p < 0.05) irrespective of other factors, such as temperament (restlessness, sociability), or traditional screen exposure (watching TV or playing videogames).

Conclusion: New media usage is a factor associated in toddlers with sleeping fewer hours and taking longer to fall asleep, irrespective of other confounding factors.

What is known

• Studies have found an association between sleep behavior and the use of computers and video games in early childhood.

• The blue light emitted from TV screens suppresses endogenous melatonin.

What is new

• The study found an association between daily new media (tablet and smartphone) usage and sleep quality in toddlers

• New media usage exposes toddlers to the risk of fewer hours of sleep and taking longer to fall asleep, irrespective of other factors.

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Abbreviations

FIMP:

Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all pediatricians and parents who participated in the study.

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by the Italian Federation of Pediatricians (Federazione Italiana dei Medici Pediatri), Genitori Attenti! Association for the promotion of social and health action, and by the Novella Fronda Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Novella Fronda Foundation for Studies and Applied Clinical Research in the Field of Addiction Medicine, Padua, Italy

    Sonia Chindamo, Alberto Terraneo, Elena Marini, Luis Javier Gomez Perez, Linda Marconi & Luigi Gallimberti

  2. Laboratory of Health Care Services and Health Promotion Evaluation, Unit of Hygiene and Public Health. Department of Cardiologic, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, University of Padova, Via Loredan, 18, 35131, Padova, Italy

    Alessandra Buja & Milena Sperotto

  3. School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Padua. Department of Cardiologic, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Elisa DeBattisti

  4. Department of Cardiologic, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Vincenzo Baldo

  5. Italian Federation of Primary Care Pediatricians (Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri, FIMP), Verona, Italy

    Gianpiero Chiamenti & Mara Tommasi

  6. Italian Federation of Primary Care Pediatricians (Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri, FIMP), Venice, Italy

    Mattia Doria

  7. Italian Federation of Primary Care Pediatricians (Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri, FIMP), Pordenone, Italy

    Flavia Ceschin

  8. Italian Federation of Primary Care Pediatricians (Federazione Italiana Medici Pediatri, FIMP), Expert on Sleep Disorders AIMS, Torino, Italy

    Emanuela Malorgio

  9. Freelance Epidemiologist, Brescia, Italy

    Roberto Buzzetti

Authors
  1. Sonia Chindamo
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  2. Alessandra Buja
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  3. Elisa DeBattisti
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  4. Alberto Terraneo
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  5. Elena Marini
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  6. Luis Javier Gomez Perez
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  7. Linda Marconi
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  8. Vincenzo Baldo
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  9. Gianpiero Chiamenti
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  10. Mattia Doria
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  11. Flavia Ceschin
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  12. Emanuela Malorgio
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  13. Mara Tommasi
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  14. Milena Sperotto
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  15. Roberto Buzzetti
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  16. Luigi Gallimberti
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Contributions

Dr. Gallimberti conceptualized the study, coordinated all study phases, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Buja, Dr. Sperotto and Dr. Buzzetti designed the study, carried out the statistical analyses, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. DeBattisti wrote the paper. Dr. Marini, Dr. Marconi and Dr. Terraneo were involved in the design of the study. Dr. Chindamo designed the data collection tools, coordinated and supervised data collection, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Doria and Dr Chiamenti coordinated and supervised data collection, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Ceschin, Dr. Malorgio, and Dr. Tommasi coordinated data collection and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Dr. Gomez Perez interpreted the data, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Prof Baldo designed the sampling methods, critically reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandra Buja.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Communicated by Mario Bianchetti

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Chindamo, S., Buja, A., DeBattisti, E. et al. Sleep and new media usage in toddlers. Eur J Pediatr 178, 483–490 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-019-03318-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-019-03318-7

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