Digital Media Use and Sleep Disturbances in Children: Insights From a Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Excessive screen time has been increasingly associated with sleep disturbances in children, but data from the Gulf region are limited. This study examined the relationship between daily screen time and sleep quality among school-aged children in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of parents of children aged six to 12 years at primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on daily screen time, sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep and night awakenings), and chronic medical conditions. Screen time was categorized as <1 hour, 1-2 hours, 3-4 hours, or >4 hours per day. Associations were assessed using chi-square tests and logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, and medical conditions.

RESULTS

A total of 500 children were included (mean age: 7.5 years; 260 boys {52.0%}). Difficulty falling asleep was reported in four of 42 children (9.5%) with <1 hour of screen time, compared to 56 of 84 children (66.7%) with >4 hours. Compared with children with <1 hour of screen time, adjusted odds ratios for difficulty falling asleep were 1.43 (95% CI: 1.01-2.03) for 1-2 hours, 1.89 (95% CI: 1.32-2.71) for 3-4 hours, and 3.21 (95% CI: 2.18-4.77) for >4 hours. Sleep disturbances were also more common in children with chronic medical conditions (57 of 139 {41.0%}) than in those without (88 of 361 {24.4%}; OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.03-2.19). Age and gender were not significantly associated with sleep outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Screen time is independently and dose-dependently associated with parent-reported sleep disturbances in children. Reducing screen exposure, particularly in the evening, may help improve sleep quality in this population.