Sleep duration among preschoolers in Taiwan: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Sleep is important for preschooler development and they need sufficient sleep (i.e., 10 to 13 h per day) to grow. However, little is known whether Taiwanese preschoolers have sufficient sleep. In order to understand the sleep duration of Taiwanese preschoolers, the present study used objective measures (Xiaomi MI Band) to record sleep duration of 87 preschoolers through a longitudinal design over 69 weeks (between March 2019 and July 2020). Preschoolers (mean age=4.44; 47 (54.0%) boys) were recruited using a convenience sampling method. All the participants were requested to wear the Xiaomi MI Band for 69 weeks during their sleep time. Data of sleep duration were extracted on at least three weeknights for average sleep hours in weekdays and at least one weekend night for average sleep hours in weekend for analyses. Their average sleep durations across the 69 weeks were between 8 and 9 h. An escalating trend of sleep duration was observed for weekends and a dropping trend of sleep duration was observed for weekdays. Moreover, the sleep durations of the entire sample were significantly shorter than the recommended 10 h (p<0.001) across the 69 weeks regardless of weekdays or weekends. The preschoolers’ sleep duration found in the present study seems insufficient. Parents and healthcare providers should be aware of the phenomenon and make some efforts to increase sleep duration for preschoolers.