Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
3177759 Sleep Medicine 2009 11 Pages PDF
Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine sleep patterns and influencing factors (age, gender, Tanner Stage, weekday vs. weekend, and pre-sleep activity) among rural Chinese adolescents.MethodsThis is a prospective study among 621 adolescents aged 11–20 years (341 males) using both a questionnaire and sleep diary to obtain bedtime, wake-up time, sleep latency, and total sleep time (TST).ResultsThe median TST was 8.6 h on weekdays and 9.4 h on weekends. Despite absence of late night social pressure and computers, a U-shaped TST pattern was observed across age and Tanner Stage, with a nadir around age 15–16 years or Tanner IV. Bedtimes became progressively later with age and Tanner Stage, while wake-up time was considerably earlier for school students or up to Tanner IV. Later wake-up times and longer TST on weekends were seen in school students, but not in non-school adolescents (>17 years). Pre-sleep activity, like reading or studying, was related to later bedtime, earlier wake-up time, and shorter TST in both genders.ConclusionsAge, Tanner Stage, and pre-sleep activity affected sleep patterns in this sample of rural Chinese adolescents. Later bedtime coupled with earlier wake-up time associated with academic demand appear to be important contributors to sleep loss among school students.

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