Non-immersive virtual reality games, sleep, and sedentary behavior in children

Short sleep duration in children may lead to an energy imbalance by disrupting hormonal regulation, reducing physical activity levels, increasing sedentary behaviors, and elevating caloric intake. Physical activity has been proposed as an effective non-pharmacological strategy to improve sleep outcomes. Virtual reality can increase enjoyment during exercise, potentially boosting engagement in physical activity.

To evaluate the effects of non-Immersive virtual reality gaming on sleep duration and sedentary behavior time in children.

Prospective longitudinal study with children aged 5 to 9 years over eight weeks. Sleep duration was assessed using a four-item questionnaire, and sedentary behavior using the Cardiovascular and Environmental Questionnaire. A linear mixed-effects model was applied.

No significant effects were observed for group, time, or their interaction on sleep duration (p = 0.173; 0.380; 0.839) or sedentary behavior (p = 0.070; 0.088; 0.895). Sixty-two children (mean age 6.74 ± 1.51 years; 29 girls) from five schools were randomly assigned to a control (n = 28) or virtual reality group (n = 34). Age-adjusted mixed models showed mean sleep duration of 620 min (control) vs. 601 min (virtual reality) and sedentary behavior of 340 min vs. 390 min, respectively.

There were no significant changes in sleep duration or in time spent sedentary. The absence of effects may be related to the intervention dose and the sensitivity of the self-report instruments, highlighting the need for further studies using larger samples, objective measures, and interventions that promote healthier movement behaviors in children.