OBJECTIVETo study the association between sleep hygiene and sleep duration and quality among school-age children, and to explore the risk factors related to poor sleep hygiene.

METHODSTotally 2019 grade-five children were sampled by stratified cluster random sampling from 10 primary schools in Shanghai, during November and December 2009. Questionnaires were used to investigate children and their parents. Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS) was used to inquiry sleep hygiene of children; Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) was used to assess their sleep duration and quality; Family and Social Environment Questionnaire was used to collect demographic and socio-economic information. T-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression model were established to identify the risk factors for sleep hygiene.

RESULTSThe age of subjects was (10.81 ± 0.38) years old, 49.0% (989/2019) were boys. The ASHS total score was 125.43 ± 15.17, girls with better sleep hygiene than boys (127.05 ± 14.41 vs 123.74 ± 15.75, P < 0.05). The sleep duration was (9.47 ± 0.58)h/d, children slept less than 9 h/d had lower ASHS total score than those slept 9 - 10 h/d or over 10 h/d (121.69 ± 16.09 vs 126.17 ± 14.62 vs 126.50 ± 15.36, P < 0.05). Children with poor sleep quality had worse sleep hygiene than those with good sleep quality (121.00 ± 15.84 vs 128.36 ± 13.92, P < 0.05). Children with television set in bedroom had lower ASHS total score than the others (122.40 ± 15.76 vs 126.74 ± 14.66, P < 0.05). Children from single parent family had lower ASHS total score (117.90 ± 16.80 vs 125.94 ± 14.89, P < 0.05). Children whose father had irregular sleep or wake pattern had lower ASHS total score (122.65 ± 15.30 vs 125.89 ± 14.90 vs 127.79 ± 14.71, P < 0.05). The regression model confirmed that existence of television set in children's bedroom, single-parent family and father's irregular sleep pattern were the risk factors of poor sleep hygiene.

CONCLUSIONSleep hygiene was closely associated with sleep duration and quality among school-age children. Children with television set in bedroom, male, from single parent family and whose father had irregular sleep or wake pattern had worse sleep quality.