Associations between media use at bedtime and sleep: a cross-sectional analysis on differences between girls and boys

Tanja Poulain; Cornelia Hilbert; Annelie Grundmann; Wieland Kiess

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1290935

Associations between media use at bedtime and sleep: a cross-sectional analysis on differences between girls and boys

Front Psychol. 2024 Jul 12:15:1290935. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1290935. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Tanja Poulain^{1

2}, Cornelia Hilbert¹, Annelie Grundmann^{1

2}, Wieland Kiess^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
² Department of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Paediatric Research (CPL), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated associations between the use of electronic media and sleep in children and young adolescents, with a specific focus on the moderation of associations by sex and age.

Methods: Between 2021 and 2022, 453 10- to 14-year-old children participating in the LIFE Child cohort study (Germany) reported on their use of electronic media (daily screen time, use at bedtime, device ownership) and on their sleep difficulties (Sleep Self Report). Associations between media use and sleep as well as interactions with age and sex were assessed using linear regression analyses.

Results: The analyses revealed significant associations between the use of media at bedtime and bedtime problems (in girls only), sleep behavior problems (in girls only), and daytime sleepiness (in girls and boys). Daily screen time, in contrast, was associated with none of the sleep difficulties. The number of media devices owned by the child was only associated with bedtime problems in girls, and this association lost statistical significance once media use at bedtime was included as further predictor.

Conclusion: The findings underline the potentially sleep-disturbing role of electronic media at bedtime. Furthermore, they suggest that this effect is more pronounced in girls than in boys.

Keywords: bedtime; media use; screen time; sex differences; sleep.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors acknowledge support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and Universität Leipzig within the program of Open Access Publishing. This publication was supported by LIFE – Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig. LIFE is funded by means of the European Union, by means of the European Social Fund (ESF), by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by means of the Free State of Saxony as per the budget approved by the state parliament. The funding sources were not involved in the choice of the study design and in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.