A Cross-Sectional Study of Sleep Habits among Adolescents between 11 and 18 years using Modified Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Sleep being an important part of life helps in physical, behavioral and emotional development apart from determining cognitive learning, functioning, and attention. Despite the magnitude and clinical importance of sleep issues, there is a low level of recognition of sleep disorders by primary care physicians among adolescents. The current study aims to find the sleep pattern among adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years using Modified Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted for 3 months among adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years visiting our tertiary care hospital. Adolescents diagnosed with neurological problems and on medications affecting sleep were excluded from the study. After obtaining informed assent, a pre-designed, pre-validated questionnaire (Modified Children’s Sleep Habit Questionnaire, CSHQ was distributed to the adolescents visiting the hospital. Data was entered into a Microsoft Excel data sheet and was analyzed.

RESULTS

There were 48.1% females and 51.9% males in our study.  Among study participants, 42.3% belonging to the age group 14-18 years had trouble sleeping, while only 7.7% belonging to the age group 11-13 had trouble sleeping. Sleeping alone in bed, fighting with parents to go to bed, and feeling hard to go to bed, were seen more in the 14-18year age group compared to the 11-13year age group. Falling asleep in other's bed, ready to sleep at the usual time, sleeping too little, and waking up at night while parents think that they are sleeping was seen more among the children in the age group 11-13 years.

Conclusion

Our research identified varying sleep behaviors among participants. Older children exhibited more issues such as trouble sleeping, sleeping alone, resisting bedtime and difficulty falling asleep. Conversely, younger children were more prone to insufficient sleep and waking up at night while their parents believed they were asleep.