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Associations of screen time, sedentary time and physical activity with sleep in under 5s: A systematic review and

Xanne Janssen1, Anne Martin2, Adrienne R Hughes1

  • 1University of Strathclyde, School of Psychological Science and Health, Glasgow, UK.

Sleep Medicine Reviews
|November 29, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Screen time negatively impacts sleep in young children, from infants to preschoolers. Promoting physical activity and limiting evening screen use are recommended for better sleep in children under five.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Science
  • Child Development
  • Behavioral Pediatrics

Background:

  • Sleep is vital for child health and development.
  • Screen time and sedentary behaviors are increasing in young children.
  • Associations between these behaviors and sleep are poorly understood in children under five.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the association between screen time/movement behaviors and sleep outcomes in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
  • To synthesize evidence on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and screen time effects on sleep in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
  • Vote counting synthesis of evidence, stratified by age group (infants, toddlers, preschoolers).
  • Quality assessment using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria.

Main Results:

  • Screen time was associated with poorer sleep outcomes across all age groups (infants, toddlers, preschoolers).
  • Physical activity and outdoor play showed favorable associations with sleep outcomes in toddlers and preschoolers.
  • Evidence quality was generally very low, with strongest findings for daily/evening screen time in toddlers and preschoolers.

Conclusions:

  • Screen time is linked to adverse sleep outcomes in children under five.
  • Physical activity may promote better sleep in toddlers and preschoolers.
  • High-quality experimental research is needed, but current findings support encouraging sleep-promoting behaviors, such as reduced evening screen time.

Keywords:
InfantPhysical activityPreschoolScreen timeSedentary behaviorSleepToddler

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