Unveiling the link: Screen dependency and sleep pattern disturbances in preadolescent children

Sleep pattern disturbances among 75 preadolescent children (aged 9–12 years) at The NGP School, Coimbatore, in 2025, with 42 identified as having screen dependency is of interest. Using the Digital Addiction Scale for Children (DASC) and Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), data were collected via structured interviews. Using the SQS, sleep disturbances were categorized as mild (31%, 1–43), moderate (33%, 44–87) and severe (36%, 88–130). Significant associations were found between age and sleep disturbances (χ²=27.06, df=4, p<0.05) and religion with screen dependency (χ²=18.96, df=4, p<0.05). Thus, we show the need for interventions to address screen-related sleep issues in preadolescents.