Enhancing the study on pediatric sleep hygiene

Sir,

I am writing to express my views on the article titled "Sleep Hygiene a Neglected Pediatric Identity - A Cross-Sectional Study" by Maniraj et al., published in the December 2023 issue of the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.¹ The study emphasizes sleep hygiene, an important yet frequently neglected component of pediatric health.

The authors have successfully highlighted the importance of sleep hygiene for children’s physical and mental development. Sleep is essential for promoting development, brain function, and emotional control from infancy onward. The study’s conclusions are concerning as well as illuminating. In the study more than half of the children who took part had poor sleep quality, it is clear that pediatric healthcare providers should pay more attention to sleep hygiene. The link between poor sleep quality and both childhood weight and poor academic achievement is especially concerning. The results highlight the complex relationship between sleep and children's general health and wellbeing.

Though article is Good. I have some concerns which I would like to express as follows,

Article does not provide precise information about duration of the study period. Providing this information would improve the research's transparency and contextualization.

Secondly explanation about selection of participants, which included children between the ages of 7 and 12 is not clear.

In methodology, sample size of 322 children were included in the study, the reasoning behind selecting this sample size is not adequately stated, and the method of calculation is not clear. Giving a thorough description of how the sample size was determined will improve the study's weightage.

In results the table presentation provides numerical values rather than percentages, which could be a challenge for readers seeking an appropriate interpretation of the data. Adding percentages to the numerical numbers and giving the total values in the tables would enhance the results’ readability and clarity.

The article delves into various aspects such as school performance, BMI, and sleep habits. However, it doesn’t provide additional demographic details like gender or grade level, apart from mentioning the participants’ ages. A study done by Mandy Pascalle Glasbeek et al shows that sleep reduction is more common in girls and older aged adolescents.²

In conclusion, I commend the authors for their rigorous research and insightful findings presented in this study. Sleep hygiene is indeed a neglected aspect of pediatric health, but one that warrants urgent attention and action. I hope that this study serves as a catalyst for further research, advocacy, and policy changes aimed at promoting healthy sleep habits among children and improving their overall health outcomes.

REFERENCES

1. 1. Maniraj P, Jegadeesan P, Ananthakrishnan S. Sleep hygiene a neglected paediatric identity – A cross-sectional study. J Fam Med Pri Care. 2023;12(12):3075-8.
2. 2. Glasbeek MP, Inhulsen MBMR, Busch V, van Stralen MM. Sleep reduction in adolescents: socio-demographic factors and the mediating role of sleep hygiene practices. Sleep Epidemiology. 2022;2:100024.