Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Public health activities for ensuring adequate sleep among school-age children: current status and future directions

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Sleep and Biological Rhythms Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper reviews epidemiological findings on sleep problems among school-age children and discusses the current status and future directions of public health activities for ensuring adequate sleep. The main sleep problems for school-age children are delayed bedtimes caused by a change in the surrounding environment and resultant consequences related to sleep loss and irregular sleep–wake schedules. Health education activities and interventions aiming at improving certain environmental factors and behavioral changes have been conducted. However, some problems exist among current public health programs for ensuring adequate sleep. First, perspectives regarding physiological changes, accompanied by secondary sexual development, are lacking. Second, most existing public health activities for ensuring adequate sleep aim to disseminate knowledge and cannot achieve behavioral change. Finally, intervention perspectives within the parental and home environment are deficient. Considering such problems, the present review examines future directions for epidemiological studies on sleep problems among school-age children, with a specific emphasis on improving the effectiveness and efficacy of public health activities for ensuring adequate sleep.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wilhelm I, Prehn-Kristensen A, Born J. Sleep-dependent memory consolidation—what can be learnt from children? Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2012;36:1718–28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Sadeh A, Gruber R, Raviv A. The effects of sleep restriction and extension on school-age children: what a difference an hour makes. Child Dev. 2003;74:444–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Zhu Y, Li AM, Au CT, Kong AP, Zhang J, Wong CK, Chan JC, Wing YK. Association between sleep architecture and glucose tolerance in children and adolescents. J Diabetes. 2015;7:10–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Segura-Jiménez V, Carbonell-Baeza A, Keating XD, Ruiz JR, Castro-Piñero J. Association of sleep patterns with psychological positive health and health complaints in children and adolescents. Qual Life Res. 2015;24:885–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Chen X, Beydoun MA, Wang Y. Is sleep duration associated with childhood obesity? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity. 2008;16:265–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Singareddy R, Moole S, Calhoun S, Vocalan P, Tsaoussoglou M, Vgontzas AN, Bixler EO. Medical complaints are more common in young school-aged children with parent reported insomnia symptoms. J Clin Sleep Med. 2009;5:549–53.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Dewald JF, Meijer AM, Oort GA, Kerkhof GA, Bögels SM. The influence of sleep quality, sleep duration and sleepiness on school performance in children and adolescents: a meta-analytic review. Sleep Med Rev. 2010;14:179–89.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Li S, Arguelles L, Jiang F, Chen W, Jin X, Yan C, Tian Y, Hong X, Qian C, Zhang J, Wang X, Shen X. Sleep, school performance, and a school-based intervention among school-aged children: a sleep series study in China. PLoS One. 2013;8:e67928.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Becker SP. External validity of children’s self-reported sleep functioning: associations with academic, social, and behavioral adjustment. Sleep Med. 2014;15:1094–100.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Touchette E, Chollet A, Galéra C, Fombonne E, Falissard B, Boivin M, Melchior M. Prior sleep problems predict internalising problems later in life. J Affect Disord. 2012;143:166–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Gregory AM, Caspi A, Eley TC, Moffitt TE, Oconnor TG, Poulton R. Prospective longitudinal associations between persistent sleep problems in childhood and anxiety and depression disorders in adulthood. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2005;33:157–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Matricciani LA, Olds TS, Blunden S, Rigney G, Williams MT. Never enough sleep: a brief history of sleep recommendations for children. Pediatrics. 2012;129:548–56.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Matricciani L, Olds T, Petkov J. In search of lost sleep: secular trends in the sleep time of school-aged children and adolescents. Sleep Med Rev. 2012;16:203–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ishihara K, Doi Y, Uchiyama M. Sleep and health from early childhood to preadolescence. J Natl Inst Public Health. 2015;64:3–10 (In Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  15. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute. Report of the survey on living hours of Japanese people, 2010. (In Japanese) http://www.nhk.or.jp/bunken/summary/yoron/lifetime/pdf/110223.pdf. Accessed 28 Jan 2015.

  16. Hirchkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, Alessi C, Bruni O, DonCarlos L, Hazen N, Herman J, Katz ES, Kheirandish-Gonzal L, Neubauer DN, O’Donnell AE, Ohayon M, Peever J, Rawding R, Sachdeva RC, Setters B, Vitiello MV, Ware JC, Hillard PJA. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health. 2015;1:40–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mindell JA, Sadeh A, Wiegand B, How TH, Goh DY. Cross-cultural differences in infant and toddler sleep. Sleep Med. 2010;11:274–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Steptoe A, Peacey V, Wardle J. Sleep duration and health in young adults. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:1689–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Olds TS, Maher CA, Matricciani L. Sleep duration or bedtime? Exploring the relationship between sleep habits and weight status and activity patterns. Sleep. 2011;34:1299–307.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Biggs SN, Lushington K, van den Heuvel CJ, Martin AJ, Kennedy JD. Inconsistent sleep schedules and daytime behavioral difficulties in school-aged children. Sleep Med. 2011;12:780–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. McLaughlin Crabtree V, Beal Korhonen J, Montgomery-Downs HE, Faye Jones V, O’Brien LM, Gozal D. Cultural influences on the bedtime behaviors of young children. Sleep Med. 2005;6:319–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Spruyt K, O’Brien LM, Cluydts R, Verleye GB, Ferri R. Odds, prevalence and predictors of sleep problems in school-age normal children. J Sleep Res. 2005;14:163–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Cain N, Gradisar M. Electronic media use and sleep in school-aged children and adolescents: a review. Sleep Med. 2010;11:735–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Nuutinen T, Ray C, Roos E. Do computer use, TV viewing, and the presence of the media in the bedroom predict school-aged children’s sleep habits in a longitudinal study? BMC Public Health. 2013;23:684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Li S, Jin X, Yan C, Wu S, Jiang F, Shen X. Bed- and room-sharing in Chinese school-aged children: prevalence and association with sleep behaviors. Sleep Med. 2008;9:555–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. On promotion of the “Early to Bed, Early to Rise, and Don’t Forget Your Breakfast” campaign, 2006. (In Japanese) http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shougai/asagohan/. Accessed 28 Jan 2015.

  27. Central Council for Education. Improving Courses of Study for Kindergartens, Elementary Schools, Lower and Upper Secondary Schools, and Schools for Special Needs Education, 2008. (In Japanese) http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chukyo/chukyo0/toushin/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2009/05/12/1216828_1.pdf. Accessed 28 Jan 2015.

  28. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Materials for the “Early to Bed, Early to Rise, and Don’t Forget Your Breakfast” campaign for raising awareness among junior and senior high school students and for teachers/civic leaders, 2015. (In Japanese) http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shougai/katei/1359388.htm. Accessed 28 Jan 2015.

  29. Blunden SL, Chapman J, Rigney GA. Are sleep education programs successful? The case for improved and consistent research efforts. Sleep Med Rev. 2012;16:355–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Cassoff J, Knäuper B, Michaelsen S, Gruber R. School based promotion programs: effectiveness, feasibility and insights for future research. Sleep Med Rev. 2013;17:207–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Crowley SJ, Acebo C, Carskadon MA. Sleep, circadian rhythms, and delayed phase in adolescence. Sleep Med. 2007;8:602–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Carskadon MA, Acebo C, Jenni OG. Regulation of adolescent sleep: implications for behavior. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004;1021:276–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Taylor DJ, Jenni OG, Acebo C, Carskadon MA. Sleep tendency during extended wakefulness: insights into adolescent sleep regulation and behavior. J Sleep Res. 2005;14:239–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Frey S, Balu S, Greusing S, Rothen N, Cajochen C. Consequences of the timing of menarche on female adolescent sleep phase preference. PLoS One. 2009;4:e5217.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Calhoun SL, Fernandez-Mendoza J, Vgontzas AN, Liao D, Bixler EO. Prevalence of insomnia symptoms in a general population sample of young children and preadolescents: gender effects. Sleep Med. 2014;15:91–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Kaneita Y, Ohida T, Osaki Y, Tanihata T, Minowa M, Suzuki K, Wada K, Kanda H, Hayashi K. Insomnia among Japanese adolescents: a nationwide representative survey. Sleep. 2006;29:1543–50.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Blunden SL, Chapman J, Rigney GA. Are sleep education programs successful? The case for improved and consistent research efforts. Sleep Med Rev. 2012;16:355–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Cain N, Gradisar M, Moseley L. A motivational school-based intervention for adolescent sleep problems. Sleep Med. 2011;12:246–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Yamamoto R, Maruyama M, Hojo R, Inaga M, Nagashima Y, Sugimori N. The relationships between sleep disturbance among elementary school children and lifestyles of their family. Sleep Med. 2013;14 suppl(1):e307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Kitamura T, Miyazaki S, Kadotani H, Suzuki H, Kanemura T, Komada I, Nishikawa M, Kobayashi R, Okawa M. Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in Japanese elementary school children aged 6–8 years. Sleep Breath. 2014;18:359–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Picchietti D, Allen RP, Walters AS, Davidson JE, Myers A, Ferini-Strambi L. Restless legs syndrome: prevalence and impact in children and adolescents—the Peds REST study. Pediatrics. 2007;120:253–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Oka Y, Suzuki S, Inoue Y. Bedtime activities, sleep environment, and sleep/wake patterns of Japanese elementary school children. Behav Sleep Med. 2008;6:220–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Tamura N, Tanaka H. Effects of sleep education with self-help treatment for elementary schoolchild with nocturnal lifestyle and irritability. Sleep Biol Rhythm. 2014;12:169–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Cortesi F, Giannotti F, Sebastiani T, Bruni O, Ottaviano S. Knowledge of sleep in Italian high school students: pilot-test of a school-based sleep educational program. J Adolesc Health. 2004;34:344–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Brown FC, Buboltz WC Jr, Soper B. Development and evaluation of the Sleep Treatment and Education Program for Students (STEPS). J Am Coll Health. 2006;54:231–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Furutani M, Ishihara K, Tanaka H. One time sleep-education for elementary school children: a comparison of results between parents only and those with children. Jpn J School Health. 2015;57:18–28 (In Japanese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Adolescent Sleep Working Group Committee on Adolescence and Council on School Health. School start times for adolescents. Pediatrics. 2014;134:642–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Wolfson AR, Spaulding NL, Dandrow C, Baroni EM. Middle school start times: the importance of a good night’s sleep for young adolescents. Behav Sleep Med. 2007;5:194–209.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Owens JA, Belon K, Moss P. Impact of delaying school start time on adolescent sleep, mood, and behavior. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2010;164:608–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Boergers J, Gable CJ, Owens JA. Later school start time is associated with improved sleep and daytime functioning in adolescents. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2014;35:11–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Nagano Education Board. Guidelines for sports activities for junior high school students in Nagano, 2014. (In Japanese) http://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/kyoiku/sports-ka/sport/gakko/documents/kenshishin.pdf. Accessed 28 Jan 2015.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Clinical Psychology, Health Care and Special Support, Graduate School of Education, Joetsu University of Education, 1, Yamayashiki-machi, Joetsu-shi, Niigara, Niigata, 943-8512, Japan

    Ryuichiro Yamamoto

Authors
  1. Ryuichiro Yamamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ryuichiro Yamamoto.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they do not have anything to disclose regarding funding or conflict of interest with respect to this review.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yamamoto, R. Public health activities for ensuring adequate sleep among school-age children: current status and future directions. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 14, 241–247 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-016-0051-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-016-0051-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation