Device-Measured Sleep Duration Age 9–11 Years Among Urban Korean Children

Objective: Sleep duration measurement methods are expensive and inconvenient. Smart bands or wearable activity trackers have offered objective and continuous tracking over several nights in real-world conditions. This study explored device-measured sleep duration in Korean children aged 9–11 years old. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted between October 2022 and March 2023, enrolled 72 participants aged 9–11 years and equipped with smart bands (Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6) for several nights lasting more than 5 days, including weekends. Sleep duration and sleep onset time were obtained using the smart bands. Results: Seventy-one children (43 girls, 28 boys), with a mean age of 9.92±0.73 were included. Sleep durations on weekdays and weekends did not show a significant difference (8.55±0.66 h vs. 8.76±0.72 h). However, significant difference was observed in sleep onset time between weekdays and weekends (p<0.001). The sleep duration on weekdays and weekends declined with age. The sleep duration on weekdays and weekends was similar in each age group; however, the sleep onset time significantly differed for all age groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests insufficient sleep duration among the children in this study. And digital device may be an effective and fast way to evaluate children without a sleep laboratory, and suggest the need for further research to understand their implications and develop more accurate measurement methods for understanding children’s sleep.