Sleep Problems and Effective Factors in Preschool Children

AIM: This descriptive field study was carried out to determine the prevalence of sleep problems and affecting factors in preschool children. METHOD: The universe of this descriptive study consisted of 5454 children studying in kindergartens affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in İzmir. The study sample consisted of 325 children aged 4–6 years attending preschool and their mothers/caregivers in three kindergartens in İzmir. Data were collected by interviewing the mothers by using the “Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire Turkish Form.” SPSS 16.0 package program was used to evaluate the data. The data were presented as numbers, percentages, and median, and chi-square statistical tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: By calculating the seven parameters (sleep level measurements) of the Baby/Child Sleep Problem Diagnosis Form, the prevalence of sleep problems in children was found to be 43.4%. There was no difference in the frequency of sleep problems according to age and sex of children (p>0.05). Sleep problems were most prevalent in children of mothers with high school degree and least prevalent in children of mothers with college and above educational status (p<0.05). No difference was found between the children who had their own room for sleeping and those who did not (p>0.05). Sleeping problems were most prevalent among children who slept in the room of their siblings, another person, or in their parents’ bed (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Nurses should interview mothers in all health institutions and determine sleeping problems during the nursing assessment process and provide counseling and education to mothers.