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Good and Bad Sleep in Childhood: A Questionnaire Survey amongst School Children in Southern Italy

Gianluca Ficca1, Francesca Conte, Vittoria De Padova

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Naples II, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy.

Sleep Disorders
|March 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Approximately 7% of school-aged children perceive their sleep quality as poor. These "bad sleepers" exhibit shorter sleep duration and more daytime issues like impulsivity, highlighting the need for early detection of sleep disturbances.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Subjective sleep quality is crucial for child development but remains understudied.
  • Understanding children's perception of sleep is vital for identifying potential issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of poor subjective sleep quality in school-aged children.
  • To explore the relationship between perceived sleep quality, sleep habits, and daytime functioning.
  • To identify potential determinants of poor sleep perception in children.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire survey was administered to 482 school-aged children (6-12 years).
  • Data collected included subjective sleep perception, sleep habits (duration, latency, chronotype), and daytime functioning.
  • Children were categorized as "good sleepers" or "bad sleepers" based on their subjective reports.

Main Results:

  • 6.9% of children reported being "bad sleepers".
  • "Bad sleepers" had shorter sleep duration on schooldays, longer sleep latencies, and a stronger evening preference.
  • "Bad sleepers" reported more frequent insufficient sleep and showed greater impairments in daytime functioning, including depressed mood and impulsivity, despite similar sleepiness levels.

Conclusions:

  • Poor subjective sleep quality is prevalent in a significant minority of school-aged children.
  • Children perceiving poor sleep exhibit distinct sleep habit and daytime functioning profiles.
  • Early identification of "bad sleepers" is important for detecting vulnerability to sleep disturbances and monitoring sleep-wake rhythm development.

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