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Sleep behaviour in a sample of preschool children in Singapore
Ramkumar Aishworiya1, Pofun Chan, Jennifer Kiing
1Department of Paediatrics, National University Health Systems.
Insights
Preschoolers in Singapore show insufficient sleep duration, with common issues like sleep resistance and difficulty waking. Parental perception of adequate sleep often differs from recommendations, highlighting a need for education.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Sleep Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Sleep problems are prevalent across all age groups, with a notable impact on urban populations.
- Preschool children in urban environments may experience particularly acute sleep disturbances.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the sleep behaviors of preschool children in Singapore.
- To identify prevalent sleep problems within this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with 372 preschool children.
- The survey utilized the validated 54-item Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).
Main Results:
- Average total sleep duration was 10.8 hours, below recommended values.
- Common sleep problems included sleep resistance (e.g., needing company to sleep) and morning behavior issues (e.g., difficulty waking).
- A significant majority of parents (84.1%) perceived their child's sleep duration as adequate, despite evidence to the contrary.
Conclusions:
- Sleep duration in Singaporean preschoolers is significantly lower than recommended and previously studied Caucasian populations.
- Parental perception of sleep adequacy is often misaligned with established recommendations.
- Addressing sleep deprivation through parental education and screening is crucial due to its impact on cognitive function, learning, and growth.
Introduction:
Sleep problems are common in all ages, but may be particularly acute in urban Singapore. This study aims to describe the sleep behaviour of, and to identify any sleep problems in, preschool children.
Materials And Methods:
This was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 372 children attending local childcare centers. The questionnaire was based on the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), a validated parent-report sleep screening questionnaire that contains 54 items identifying sleep behaviours in children.
Results:
A total of 372 (40.0%) children participated. The mean age was 4.1 (SD 1.3) years (range, 2 to 6 years). Average total sleep duration was 10.8 hours (SD 1.1) with average night-time sleep duration of 8.5 hours (SD 0.6) and average nap duration of 1.6 hours (SD 1.0). Co-sleeping was common; 80.9% of children shared a room with someone else. The most common sleep problems were in the domains of sleep resistance and morning behaviour; namely: requiring company to fall asleep (n = 272, 73.1%), being afraid to sleep alone (n = 228, 61.6%) and diffi culty in waking up (n = 165, 44.4%). Among parents, 84.1 % (n = 313) perceived that their child's sleep duration was adequate.
Conclusion:
The duration of sleep in the Singaporean preschool population sampled is signifi cantly lower than recommended values and that of previously described Caucasian populations. Parental perception of sleep adequacy deviates from current recommendations. Given the clear relation of sleep duration with cognitive functioning, learning, and physical growth, this sleep deprivation should be addressed with parental education and opportunistic screening of sleep in well-child follow-ups.
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