The Effects of Parental Intervention on Sleep Patterns and Electronic Media Exposure in Young Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parent-focused intervention aimed at the promotion of healthy sleep patterns and controlled exposure to electronic media (EM) in young adolescents. Participants: The sample included 70 dyads of parents (68 mothers and 2 fathers) and adolescents. Intervention and control groups each consisted of 35 young adolescents with a mean age of 10.7 (0.9) years old. Methods: Three waves of data collection included baseline, post-intervention, and 3 month follow-up. In each wave, adolescents reported habitual electronic media exposure and sleep patterns for a week and wore an actigraph for five nights. Parents in the intervention group participated in a six-session interactive workshop, while parents in the control group received equivalent written information by mail. Results: The intervention led to earlier bedtimes (p p p p < 0.01). Benefits were maintained at the follow-up. Conclusion: Interventions tailored for parents can create lasting positive changes in sleep patterns and EM exposure in young adolescents.

Keywords

• adolescence
• electronic media
• sleep patterns
• parental intervention
• parental training