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.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 13, 2019
Accepted:
February 25,
2019
Received in revised form:
February 20,
2019
Received:
October 9,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
