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Epidemiological study on chronotype among preschool children in Japan: Prevalence, sleep-wake patterns, and

Yuriko Doi1, Kaneyoshi Ishihara2, Makoto Uchiyama3

  • 1a Department of Health Promotion, National Institute of Public Health , Wako , Japan.

Chronobiology International
|August 19, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Investigating young children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Chronobiology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • The 24-hour society and weekday-weekend social clock shifts can impact children's sleep and circadian rhythms, yet evidence is limited.
  • Understanding these effects is crucial for promoting healthy development in preschool-aged children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of chronotypes (morning, intermediate, evening) in Japanese preschool children.
  • To examine the relationship between chronotype and sleep-wake parameters, including weekday and weekend sleep schedules.
  • To identify factors associated with chronotype, particularly in evening-type children, within the context of social scheduling.

Main Methods:

  • Nationwide epidemiological study in Japan involving preschool children aged 3-5 years.
  • Stratified one-stage cluster sampling targeting 2,969,627 individuals.
  • Utilized the Children's ChronoType Questionnaire to assess chronotypes and sleep-wake patterns; statistical analyses included linear and multivariate logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of morning, intermediate, and evening types were 31.6%, 55.9%, and 10.0%, respectively.
  • Sleep-wake timings significantly delayed from morning to evening types (p < 0.001).
  • Evening-type children experienced a nocturnal sleep deficit (0.57 h) due to socially advanced weekday wake-up times; social scheduling and parental preferences were significant factors.

Conclusions:

  • Chronotype significantly influences sleep-wake patterns in preschool children.
  • Socially scheduled activities and parental diurnal preferences play a key role in the sleep of evening-type children.
  • Emphasizes the need for chronobiologically informed sleep discipline and assessment of social schedules for children's well-being.

Keywords:
Chronotypecircadian rhythmenvironmental factorseveningnessmorningness

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