Sleeping habits of Finnish school children by sociodemographic background

This study investigated sleeping habits and sleep difficultiesby selected sociodemographic background variables (age, sex,fathers occupation, urban v. rural environment and geographicalregion of Finland) among 11- to 16-year-old Finnish school children.The study is part of a larger, comparative, WHO-coordinatedproject on the health and life-style of school children (HealthBehavior of School Aged Children—A WHO Cross-NationalSurvey, the HBSC-Study). The Finnish research data representedthe whole country. Using a standardized survey questionnairethe data were collected anonymously in schools in spring 19Cleaned data were compiled from 2996 pupils. In general sleepinghabits were healthy among adolescents but with increasing ageunhealthy (irregular) sleeping habits as well as sleep difficultiesemerged. Age and in some cases sex were important explanatoryfactors of sleeping habits and sleep difficulties. Other sociodemographicfactors were far less correlated with sleep.