The Effect of Maternal Smoking and Passive Smoking on Sleep Duration of Preschool Children

Objective: Sleep is essential for children's health, influencing cognitive development, emotional regulation, and physical growth. While inadequate sleep has been linked to adverse outcomes, the relationship between secondhand smoke and sleep duration in preschool children remains unclear. Our study aims to explore this relationship by examining the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy, primary caregiver smoking, and the number of smokers in the household on sleep duration in preschool children. Material and Method: Preschool children under six years of age without any chronic disease who applied to the social pediatrics outpatient clinic of our hospital were included in the study. The necessary data were obtained by giving a questionnaire to the parents who accepted the study and gave consent. A total of 301 children who provided complete information about sleep duration and smoking-related variables were selected for analysis. Results: Overall, girls represented 48.3% of the total sample, while 51.7% were boys. The majority of girls and boys slept more than 13 hours, with boys slightly more likely than girls to fall into this category (86.9 and 89.1%). However, there was no significant difference between sleep duration and gender (p:0.75). The analysis showed that there were weak correlations between smoking-related variables (maternal smoking during pregnancy, primary caregiver smoking and number of smokers in the household) and children's sleep duration. Conclusion: Although maternal smoking and secondhand smoke exposure have weak effects on children's sleep duration, research is crucial to understanding these relationships and providing healthier environments for child development