How children’s digital screen use shapes their sleep duration trajectory patterns

Abstract Sleep is fundamental to children’s development, yet many children experience insufficient sleep, with digital media use identified as a key contributing factor. While previous research has examined the relationship between digital screen time and sleep patterns, most studies have not investigated how different types of digital media use relate to distinct sleep trajectories, particularly in the context of widespread smartphone adoption among children. This study aimed to identify distinct patterns of sleep duration trajectories and examine how different types of digital screen time, especially smartphone use, relate to these patterns. Using data from the Korea Children and Youth Panel Survey ( N = 2607), we conducted latent class growth analysis to identify sleep duration trajectories among children from fourth to eighth grade (2018–2022). Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined how digital screen time and other factors were associated with trajectory membership. Three distinct sleep trajectory patterns emerged: high-decreasing (16.7%), mid-decreasing (78.2%), and low-decreasing (5.1%). All groups showed decreasing trajectories over time, but from different starting points and at different rates. Smartphone use showed the strongest association with trajectory membership, whereas television viewing and computer use showed relatively weaker associations. Female students and those reporting higher smartphone use were more likely to belong to groups with shorter sleep duration. Academic factors, particularly private tutoring time, were also significantly associated with membership in shorter sleep duration groups. These findings highlight a shift in how different types of digital media affect children’s sleep, with smartphone use now showing a stronger influence than traditional screen time activities. Our results provide crucial insights for parents, educators, and policymakers in promoting healthy sleep patterns among children in an increasingly digital world.