J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.  2011 Sep;22(3):182-191.

Differences in Sleep Patterns are Related to Behavior, Emotional Problems, Attention and Academic Performance in Elementary School Students of a South Korean Metropolitan City

• Tak HJ
• Lee JH
• Lee CM
• Chung SH
• Lee JW
• Sim CS
• Yoon JG
• Sung JH
• Bhang SY

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to investigate the sleep patterns of South Korean elementary school children and whether the differences in sleep patterns were related to behavior, emotional problems, attention and academic performance. METHOD: This study included a community sample of 268 boys and girls from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade classes in a South Korean metropolitan city from November to December 2010. The primary caregivers completed a questionnaire that included information on demographic characteristics, as well as the Child's Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Korean version of Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), the Korean version of the Learning Disability Evaluation Scale (K-LDES), the Korean version of ADHD Rating Scale (K-ARS) and the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Scale (DBDS). We conducted analyses on the CSHQ individual items, between the subscales, on the total scores and on the K-CBCL, the K-LEDS, the K-ARS and the DBDS.
RESULTS
Based on the findings from the CHSQ, the subjects had significantly higher scores for bedtime resistance (9.18+/-2.17), delayed sleep onset (1.32+/-0.62), the sleep duration (4.19+/-1.52) and daytime sleepiness (14.10+/-3.55) than the scores from the previous reports on children from western countries. The total CHSQ score showed positive correlations to all subscales of the K-CBCL : withdrawn (r=0.24, p<.005), somatic complaint (r=0.24, p<.005) and anxious/depressive (r=0.38, p<.005). Bedtime resistance was associated with oppositional defiant disorder (r=0.15, p<.05) and a positive correlation was demonstrated between sleep anxiety and the oppositional defiant disorder score (r=0.13, p<.05), night waking and the conduct disorder score (r=0.16, p<.05). Delayed sleep onset was related with low performance on the K-LDES with respect to thinking (r=-0.17, p<.05) and mathematical calculation (r=-0.17, p<.05).
CONCLUSION
The results of this study reconfirm Korean children's problematic sleep patterns. Taken together the results provide that the reduced sleep duration and disruption of sleep pattern can have a significant impact on emotion, behavior, performance of learning in children. Further studies concerning more diverse psychosocial factors affecting sleep pattern will be helpful to understanding of the sleep health in Korean children.

Keyword

Elementary School Student; Sleep; Behavior; Emotional Problem; Attention; Academic Performance

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Caregivers
Checklist
Child
Child Behavior
Conduct Disorder
Humans
Learning
Learning Disorders
Thinking
Surveys and Questionnaires