Epidemiological study of sleep habits among four-and-a-half-year-old children in Japan

摘要

Background: To date, only limited epidemiological data on the sleep habits of young children in Japan have been available. This study used representative samples to examine the sleep habits of four-and-a-half-year-old children in Japan. Methods: We used data from a nationwide cross-sectional survey. A member of each subject's family was asked to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire included personal characteristics, sleep habits, and lifestyle. Results: The data for 39,813 subject children (collection rate: 74.3%) were analyzed. The mean value of total sleep duration, night-time sleep duration, and daytime napping duration was 10. h 40. min 30. s, 9. h 53. min 0. s, and 46. min 24. s, respectively. The prevalence of daytime napping was 45.8%. Those whose total sleep duration was less than 10. h accounted for 13.7% of the sample. The factors associated with high odds ratios for shorter total sleep duration were: living in a less populated area, long hours spent watching television, longer maternal work hours, and attending preschool. Conclusions: In attempting to devise ways of improving the sleep habits of young children, the lifestyles of both the children and their parents must be considered.