Çocuklarda Sporun Uyku Üzerindeki Etkisi

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the effect of sports on children’s sleep by comparing the sleep characteristics of children participating in a summer sports school program across different sports branches before starting the program and after two months of regular sports activity. The findings obtained are important in revealing the contributions of sports to public health and raising awareness about the importance of regular sport.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in July-August 2024 with the parents of 162 children who completed summer sports schools in the Karatay district. Parents were interviewed face-to-face twice: once before their children started sports (pre-test) and once after two months of regular sports participation (post-test). Data collection tools included sociodemographic information and the “Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children,” consisting of 26 items. The collected data were presented using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage), and analytical analyses were performed using One-Way ANOVA, Independent T-test, and Spearman’s correlation tests. A significance level of p<0.05 was accepted.Results: Among the 162 children who participated in the study, 59.9% were female and 40.1% were male. When comparing the pre-test and post-test, When comparing the pre-test and post-test. statistically significant reductions in the total score of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children, as well as Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep, Sleep-related breathing disorders, Disorders of Arousal, Sleep-wake transition disorders, and Excessive sweating during sleep (p < 0.05 for all subdomains). The average bedtime significantly decreased from 22.58±1.04 in the pre-test to 22.29±0.52 in the post-test (p < 0.001). Regarding time to fall asleep, 49% of the children fell asleep within 15–30 minutes in the pre-test, whereas 58% fell asleep within less than 15 minutes in the post-test (p < 0.001). However, no significant difference was found between the total sleep duration in the pre-test and post-test (p = 0.197). Conclusion: This study revealed that while sports do not have a significant effect on the total sleep duration in children, they do have positive effects on sleep quality, time to fall asleep, and bedtime. The findings suggest that promoting regular physical activity from early childhood may play a role in improving sleep quality and, by enhancing individual quality of life, may contribute positively to public health.