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Digital Media Use and Sleep Disturbances in Children: Insights From a Cross-Sectional Study

Mohammed I Alsubhi1, Jaafar M Ali2, Mohamed J Sarhan3

  • 1Family Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, SAU.

Cureus
|June 17, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Excessive daily screen time significantly increases the risk of sleep disturbances in children. Limiting screen exposure, especially before bed, is recommended to improve children's sleep quality.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Excessive screen time is linked to sleep issues in children globally.
  • Limited data exists on this association within the Gulf region.
  • This study focuses on Saudi Arabian school-aged children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between daily screen time and sleep quality in Saudi children.
  • To identify the dose-dependent effect of screen time on sleep disturbances.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional survey of 500 parents of children aged 6-12 years in Saudi Arabia.
  • Data collected via questionnaire on screen time, sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep, night awakenings), and medical conditions.
  • Statistical analysis included chi-square tests and logistic regression, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Children with >4 hours of screen time had a significantly higher odds of difficulty falling asleep (OR: 3.21) compared to those with <1 hour.
  • A dose-dependent relationship was observed between increased screen time and sleep disturbances.
  • Chronic medical conditions were also associated with increased sleep disturbances (OR: 1.50).

Conclusions:

  • Daily screen time is an independent risk factor for sleep disturbances in children.
  • Reducing screen exposure, particularly in the evening, may improve sleep quality.
  • Findings highlight the need for parental guidance on screen time limits for children.
Abstract

Keywords:
childrencross-sectional studydigital mediafamily medicinepediatric healthprimary caresaudi arabiascreen timesleep disturbancessleep quality

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