Are Children Getting Less Sleep Than Previous Generations?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

The evidence suggests that children today are indeed getting less sleep than previous generations, with a significant decline observed over the past century. However, the evidence base is not without its limitations, and further research is needed to fully understand the trends and their implications. Additionally, prenatal factors such as birth weight and prenatal exposure to alcohol play a crucial role in determining sleep patterns in children. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, considering both historical trends and prenatal influences to improve sleep health in children.

The question of whether children today are getting less sleep than previous generations is a topic of significant concern. Sleep deficits in children are associated with a range of detrimental physical and mental health outcomes. This article explores the evidence surrounding the secular trends in sleep duration among school-aged children and adolescents, drawing on multiple research studies to provide a comprehensive overview.

Historical Trends in Children’s Sleep Duration

A systematic review of world literature conducted by Matricciani et al. (2012) provides a broad perspective on the historical trends in children’s sleep duration. The study analyzed data from 690,747 children across 20 countries, spanning from 1905 to 2008. The findings indicate a consistent decline in sleep duration, with a sample-weighted median rate of change of -0.75 minutes per night per year. This translates to a decrease of more than one hour of sleep per night over the study period. The decline was observed across various age, sex, and day type categories, although regional variations were noted, with Europe, the USA, Canada, and Asia showing decreases, while Australia, the UK, and Scandinavia showed increases1.

Prenatal Factors Influencing Sleep

Another dimension to consider is the prenatal origins of poor sleep in children. A study by Tikotzky et al. (2010) examined whether small body size at birth and prenatal exposure to tobacco or alcohol predict poor sleep and more sleep disturbances in children. The study found that lower birth weight and shorter length at birth were associated with lower sleep efficiency. Additionally, prenatal alcohol exposure significantly increased the risk of short sleep and low sleep efficiency. These findings suggest that prenatal factors can have long-lasting effects on children’s sleep patterns2.

Evidence for Declining Sleep Duration

A review by Williams et al. (2013) critically examined the evidence for the claim that children are sleeping less than in the past. The study identified 51 peer-reviewed articles, of which 17 provided evidence for changes in sleep duration. Among these, six studies reported decreases in sleep duration, while others reported mixed trends or no change. The review highlighted that the evidence base is limited and often relies on repeated references to a few key sources. This suggests that while there is some evidence for declining sleep duration, the scientific basis for this claim is not as robust as commonly believed3.

 

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Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Cele Richardson has answered Likely

An expert from University of Western Australia in Sleep Research

A meta-analysis of 41 surveys published from 1999 to 2010, showed that average school night sleep duration was insufficient (i.e., <8 h) in 53% of adolescent samples (Gradisar, Gardner & Dohnt, 2011). Additionally, data from a nationally representative survey of adolescents in the USA suggests that the proportion of adolescents regularly obtaining less than 7 hours of sleep increased from 1995 to 2012 (Keyes, Maslowsky, Hamilton & Schulenberg, 2015).

Gradisar, M., Gardner, G., & Dohnt, H. (2011). Recent worldwide sleep patterns and problems during adolescence: a review and meta-analysis of age, region, and sleep. Sleep medicine, 12(2), 110-118.

Keyes, K. M., Maslowsky, J., Hamilton, A., & Schulenberg, J. (2015). The great sleep recession: changes in sleep duration among US adolescents, 1991–2012. Pediatrics, 135(3), 460-468.

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Stefano Eleuteri has answered Near Certain

An expert from Sapienza University of Rome in Psychology, Sleep Research, Sexology

According to the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics (SIPPS), nowaday children sleep at least one hour less than what it’is necessary, comparing to their age; 35%/40% of them suffers from low quality and quantity of sleep and sleep disorders.

Refferring to the Western culture, hundred years ago children slept two more hours at night, compared to nowaday kids. This could be the result of a changing society where modern technological devices provide an ever-increasing opportunity to be engaged in activities other than sleep. Furthermore, sleep is often fragmented and of poor quality due to a much greater range of life stressors in modern society (e.g., crime, terrorism).

These are all factors affecting a correct sleep cycle. Lack of a regular sleep can lead to numerous negative effects, from aggressive to antisocial feelings, from hyperactivity to depression. Furthermore, children who sleep poorly are more anxious and stressed, can have greater difficulties in organizing themselves and doing their homework; they are often less careful and creative. Not enough: in general, sleep disorders are also associated with a reduction in sporting activity, a greater risk of obesity and overweight and a higher illness probability due to a less reactive immune system.

Sleep patterns substantially change across the lifespan: until the first year of life infants need 14-18 hours of sleep between day and night; when it comes the age of nursery school they sleep 12-14 hours spread over 24 hours. With the elementary school ( 5-10 y.o ) and then the middle school (11-13 y.o) the need goes down, but it is still high: it takes 10-12 hours of sleep; the sleep timing will be the same as the adult’s one (8-10 hours) only when  they’ll enter  high school (13/14 y.o). A meta-analysis of 65 studies investigating changes in sleep architecture across the lifespan and using polysomnographic recordings showed that sleep latency (i.e., thnt e time needed to fall asleep) as well as light sleep increase with age, while slow-wave sleep and REM sleep decrease; sleep becomes more fragmented with age, as the number of awakenings as well as the time spent awake at night increase; importantly sleep complaints are less present in older adults than in younger individuals.

In order to mantain a good sleep hygiene it’s important to establish a correct and costant sleep routine going to bed and waking up more or less at the same hour everyday; dinner must end at least two hours before bedtime, not too intense exercise late at night. Children should be taught the importance of learning how to relax before sleeping, abandoning worries and stress and, above all,electronic devices: in children’s room, television, computer, tablet or mobile phone should be turned off and not on stand-by mode. The use of mobile phones in bed must be monitored, it should be used only up to an hour before sleeping. 

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Lauren Daniel has answered Near Certain

An expert from Rutgers University in Psychology

There have been several reviews of existing and historical reports (Iglostein et al., 2003; Matricciani, Olds & Petkov, 2012; Keys et al., 2015; Matricciani et al., 2017) of child sleep that have all concluded that child and adolescent sleep times decline in small but significant amounts each year.

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Cary Brown has answered Near Certain

An expert from University of Alberta in Occupational Therapy

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada 1 in 4 Canadian Children do not get the recommended amount of sleep. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-children-getting-enough-sleep-infographic.html Children who have insufficient sleep do less well a school and have more physical and mental health problems.

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Chighaf Bakour has answered Likely

An expert from University of South Florida in Public Health, Epidemiology, Sleep Research

According to this review article “In search of lost sleep: Secular trends in the sleep time of school-aged children and adolescents” by Lisa Matricciani, Timothy Olds, and John Petkov, published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews (2012), “Over the last 103 years, there have been consistent rapid declines in the sleep duration of children and adolescents.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079211000347

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Deirdre Logan has answered Likely

An expert from Boston Children’s Hospital in Psychology

high homework loads

screens

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

David Bazett-Jones has answered Uncertain

An expert from University of Toledo in Sports Science

It is less than the recommended but I don’t think we know if it is less than previous generations.

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Joanna MacLean has answered Near Certain

An expert from University of Alberta in Pediatrics

The balance of the evidence shows that children are getting less sleep than in the past. The advent of electric lights meant that it was easier to continue tasks after dark. School schedules have gradually shifted to earlier start times with children with two working parents using before and after school care as well. Children requiring busing to school may have long journeys. School crowding has resulted in staggered start times with earlier start times for some children. Limits on recreational space availability also means extracurricular activities are pushed back resulting in later bed times. Screens are smaller, more ubiquitous, and associated with shorter sleep duration. Shorter sleep duration in young children is associated with an increased risk for later obesity – the obesity epidemic may also, in part, be driven by this concerning trend to short sleep duration in children.

 

Are children getting less sleep than previous generations?

Flavia Giannotti has answered Near Certain

An expert from Sapienza Università di Roma in Sleep Research

It has been widely stated that modern industrialized societies have become sleep-deprived. Average sleep duration has declined over the last few decades  Such findings regard children too. Sleep needs vary across ages and are expecially impacted by lifestyle, ethnic and socio-cultural influences. Among different life habits which can affect sleep , nowdays with the increased use of electronic devices at bedtime determine a shift towards poorer sleep, characterized by late bedtime , long sleep onset latency, short sleep duration h . It has been suggested that media use can affect sleep through different mechanisms: directly displaying sleep time or increasing mental and emotional physiological arousals .