Prevalence and correlates of self-reported sleep problems among Chinese adolescents

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of sleep problems in Chinese adolescents.

An epidemiological questionnaire survey was carried out in five high schools in Shandong Province of Mainland China.

A total of 1365 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years comprising 823 boys and 542 girls.

The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding sleep duration, sleep problems, stressful life events, lifestyles, and personal and family characteristics.

Mean sleep duration at night was 7.64 hours (SD = 0.86) and decreased with increasing age. Of the sample, 16.9% (95% CI = 13.2-20.5%) reported insomnia symptoms including difficulty initiating sleep (10.8%), difficulty maintaining sleep (6.3%), and early morning awakening (2.1%). Nightmares were reported more frequently by girls (chi2=20.09, p<0.001). Only 2.3% of the sample had ever taken hypnotic medication during the past month. Almost 22% of the subjects went to bed later than 12:00 PM at least once a week. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that greater age, being at senior high school, doing no habitual physical exercise, poor physical health, self-selection of diet, longer distance from home to school, and life stress experienced during the past 12 months were significantly associated with an increased risk of insomnia.

Self-reported sleep problems in Chinese adolescents are common and associated with multiple factors. These findings suggest the need for comprehensive programs to prevent sleep problems in adolescents.