Association of Night Snacking and Screen Time on Sleep Behavior in Japanese Toddlers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Chronobiology
• Child Development

Background:

• Irregular lifestyles, including sleep deprivation and disordered eating, disrupt the circadian clock and are linked to adverse health outcomes.
• Circadian rhythm disruption in early childhood can have long-term health implications.
• Understanding factors influencing children's chronotypes and sleep patterns is crucial for promoting healthy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationships among chronotypes, social jet lag, night-snacking habits, and screen time in toddlers.
• To identify specific night-snacking behaviors and food types associated with evening-type tendencies in young children.
• To explore the role of screen time during late-night eating occasions.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale survey was conducted with 6177 mothers of children aged 3-8 years in June 2022.
• Data analysis involved means comparison and multiple regression analyses to examine associations between variables.
• The study focused on identifying correlations between lifestyle factors and chronobiological tendencies in toddlers.

Main Results:

• Toddlers who consumed night snacks exhibited a higher likelihood of being evening types and experienced greater social jet lag.
• Extended screen time during night snacking was significantly correlated with evening-type tendencies.
• Specific high-sugar and high-fat snacks, such as juice and ice cream, were identified as prevalent evening-type snacks.

Conclusions:

• Discontinuing snacks after dinner is recommended to mitigate evening-type eating patterns in children.
• High-sugar and high-fat night snacks may play a role in promoting nocturnal eating habits and disrupting children's circadian rhythms.
• Interventions aimed at regulating children's eating schedules, particularly avoiding late-night snacks, are essential for maintaining healthy circadian function.