Cross-cultural differences in infant and toddler sleep
Received 24 February 2009; received in revised form 17 April 2009; accepted 26 April 2009.
Abstract
Background
To characterize cross-cultural sleep patterns and sleep problems in a large sample of children ages birth to 36months in multiple predominantly-Asian (P-A) and predominantly-Caucasian (P-C) countries.
Methods
Parents of 29,287 infants and toddlers (predominantly-Asian countries/regions: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam; predominantly-Caucasian countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States) completed an internet-based expanded version of the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire.
Results
Overall, children from P-A countries had significantly later bedtimes, shorter total sleep times, increased parental perception of sleep problems, and were more likely to both bed-share and room-share than children from P-C countries, p<.001. Bedtimes ranged from 19:27 (New Zealand) to 22:17 (Hong Kong) and total sleep time from 11.6 (Japan) to 13.3 (New Zealand) hours, p<.0001. There were limited differences in daytime sleep. Bed-sharing with parents ranged from 5.8% in New Zealand to 83.2% in Vietnam. There was also a wide range in the percentage of parents who perceived that their child had a sleep problem (11% in Thailand to 76% in China).
Conclusions
Overall, children from predominantly-Asian countries had significantly later bedtimes, shorter total sleep times, increased parental perception of sleep problems, and were more likely to room-share than children from predominantly-Caucasian countries/regions. These results indicate substantial differences in sleep patterns in young children across culturally diverse countries/regions. Further studies are needed to understand the basis for and impact of these interesting differences.
aThe Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Saint Joseph’s University, USA
bAvi Sadeh, Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
cJohnson & Johnson, 420 Delaware Avenue, Ft. Washington, PA 19034, USA
dJohnson & Johnson Asia Pacific, Division of Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd., No. 2, International Business Park, #07-01, Tower One, The Strategy, Singapore 609930, Singapore
eDepartment of Paediatrics, University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Health System, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore
Corresponding author. Address: Saint Joseph’s University, Department of Psychology, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA. Tel.: +1 610 660 1806.
ABSTRACT