PUTTING THEIR MINDS TO REST: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF SLEEP HYGIENE, SLEEP PROBLEMS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES AMONG SINGAPORE’S PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Abstract

Sleep related difficulties have deleterious psychosocial effects amongst children. Singapore’s “pressure-cooker” environment might not be conducive for sleep either. Despite this, little is known about the prevalence of sleep related difficulties in Singapore’s non-clinical paediatric population, the factors leading to these problems, and their impact on mental health, as well as social developmental outcomes. In this cross-sectional survey, 251 parents of Singapore’s primary school aged children (6 – 12 years old) reported the frequency of sleep related difficulties of their children, and answered questions regarding sleep hygiene practices, their children’s symptoms of depression and anxiety, and social skills. The prevalence of sleep related difficulties was 98%. A noisy bedroom was found to be a significant predictor of sleep problems and that sleep problems increased the odds of falling into “high-risk” ranges for depression, anxiety, self-regulation and social competence scores. Income, particularly low income, was found to be a significant predictor of a noisy bedroom. Results show that there is a high prevalence rate of sleep related difficulties amongst children in Singapore relative to those from other nations. Parents can reduce the odds of negative psychosocial outcomes by providing a conducive sleep environment.