Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep plays a vital role in the cognitive and neurodevelopmental outcome of children; therefore, adequate sleep is needed to improve academic performance. The primary objective of this study was determine the prevalence of sleep behaviors and their effect on academic performance in schoolchildren age 6-12 years and to translate the findings into greater opportunity for healthy development and academic success. METHODS: Our study included 791 healthy children between ages 6 and 12 years from schools that are parts of the Central Board of Secondary Education in the South Indian urban population. Pro forma and The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ in local language translation) was given to the parents, and any doubts regarding the questionnaire were clarified during parent-teacher meetings. The previous 2 cycles of academic grades for these children were collected and categorized into A, B, and C grades accordingly. Then a statistical analysis of the completed CSHQ questionnaires was performed. RESULTS: On analyzing the CSHQ questionnaire, 71.9% of the children studied had a score higher than 41, which is in the clinical range indicating a significant prevalence of altered sleep habits. Other risk factors included nocturnal enuresis (3.5%), snoring (10.6%), night terrors (8%), and teeth grinding (6.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Altered sleep habits have a major effect on the academic performance of the school-age children. Assessment of sleep habits should be included in routine pediatric office visits. CITATION: Sivakumar CT, Rajan M, Pasupathy U, Chidambaram S, Baskar N. Effect of sleep habits on academic performance in schoolchildren age 6 to 12 years: a cross-sectional observation study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(1):145-149.