Citation

Silva TA, Carvalho LB, Silva L, Medeiros M, Natale VB, Carvalho JE, Prado LB, Prado GF. Arq. Neuropsiquiatr. 2005; 63(2B): 402-406.

Affiliation

Department of Internal Medicine, Sleep Disorders Center, University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP) Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Associacao Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquitria)

DOI

/S0004-282X2005000300007

PMID

16059588

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the sleep habits in Brazilian children according to age, gender and starting time to school. METHOD: We investigated 2,482 scholars aged 7 to 10 years. We compared sleep habits, gender, and starting time to school (morning and afternoon). RESULTS: Sixty-one per cent of the children presented sleep rituals before sleep. Milk drinking before sleep was more frequent among seven years old children. We found a progressive reduction with age in keeping the lights on. Girls used to leave an object to bed more than boys did. Children that studied in the morning presented reduced total sleep time, sleep earlier, and nap more frequently than children that studied in the afternoon. CONCLUSION: Starting time to school deeply influences sleep habits in Brazilian children from Sao Paulo City, in whom bed-time rituals are highly prevalent.