Relationship between gadget usage duration and sleep pattern in children aged 3-5 years in Pucang Sewu Village Surabaya

Background: Sleep plays a vital role in supporting optimal functioning during childhood, including health, development, cognition, and behavior. Increased screen time duration has been associated with sleep disturbances in early childhood. The prevalence of sleep pattern disturbances among children aged 3–5 years is relatively high, ranging from 20% to 45% in Western countries and even higher in several Asian populations. Data from Statistics Indonesia indicate that 35.57% of young children in Indonesia access the internet, and 39.71% use mobile phones. 

Objective: To analyze the relationship between gadget usage duration and sleep pattern in children aged 3–5 years in Pucang Sewu Village, Surabaya. 

Methods: This study was conducted with an observational analytical design with a cross-sectional approach. The sample in this study were children aged 3-5 years, the sampling technique was consecutive sampling with a sample size of 63 children. The research instrument was a questionnaire on the gadget usage duration and the sleep disturbance scale for children (SDSC) given to parents of the sample. Data analysis used the Chi-Square test using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for windows. 

Results: The Chi-Square test shows a p value of 0.032 (<0,05), which means there is a relationship between gadget usage duration and sleep pattern in children aged 3-5 years. 

Conclusion: Limiting the gadget usage duration to no more than 1 hour needs to be done to reduce the risk of sleep disorders.