The Relationship between Playing Video Games and Sleeping Habits in Primary School Children

Playing Video Games and Sleeping Habits in Children

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining children's overall health. This study aimed to investigate the association between primary school children's video game playing habits and their sleep patterns.

Materials and Methods: The study included healthy children aged 6-10 years, without any chronic illnesses, who visited the Pediatric Polyclinic at Başkent University for routine check-ups between May 2023 and July 2023. Parents and children completed an online questionnaire that assessed sociodemographic information, video game playing characteristics, and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).

Results: A total of 141 children participated in the study, with 56% being girls. The mean age of the participants was 9.0±1.1 years. Among the children, 75.9% (n=107) reported playing video games, with 21.4% (n=23) playing for more than 3 hours. Significant differences were observed in the sleep habits of children based on their video game playing status (p<0.001). Specifically, 94.4% of video game players exhibited impaired sleep habits (CSHQ score above 41 points), while only 25.3% of non-players fell into this category (p<0.001). Furthermore, when analyzing the total scores and subgroup scores of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) based on children's video game playing time, statistically significant differences were found in the subgroups of total sleep score, night waking, sleep-disordered breathing, and daytime sleepiness (p<0.001, p=0.015, p=0.010, p<0.001).

Conclusion: This study highlights a relationship between video game playing habits and disrupted sleep patterns in primary school children. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to strengthen these findings. Comprehensive pediatric check-ups should be viewed as an opportunity for a holistic assessment of children's well-being.