Abstract:

Introduction:
Sleep problems have become a highly relevant issue, particularly during adolescence. This developmental period is especially sensitive to sleep disturbances, which may serve as indicators of broader mental health difficulties. Sleep hygiene refers to a set of habits, routines, and environmental conditions that promote healthy, sufficiently long, and good-quality sleep. Researchers consistently report that children today sleep for shorter periods, experience more frequent difficulties falling asleep, and have more irregular and fragmented sleep patterns. These changes are associated with poorer cognitive functioning, academic challenges, and reduced emotional stability. Media exposure is among the most significant factors that can disrupt sleep hygiene. Excessive use of digital devices—especially in the evening—is linked to shorter sleep duration, delayed sleep onset, and lower subjective sleep quality. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between sleep hygiene, media exposure, and externalizing problems (behavioral problems and hyperactivity) as well as internalizing problems (peer difficulties and emotional problems) in older school-aged children.

Methods:
The research sample consisted of 262 participants aged 13–16 years (M = 13,79; SD = 0,73). The following instruments were used: The Adolescent Sleep Hygiene Scale (ASHS; LeBourgeois, Giannotti, Cortesi, Wolfson & Harsh, 2005); media exposure (use of social networks, the internet, and gaming) was assessed by the duration of media use before bedtime; and The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997). The research design was quantitative, correlational, and comparative.

Results and Discussion:
The results revealed significant negative associations between sleep hygiene quality and overall problem behavior, internalizing problems, emotional problems, externalizing problems, hyperactivity, and behavioral difficulties. Adolescents with poorer sleep hygiene reported higher levels of psychological and behavioral problems. No significant association was found between sleep hygiene and peer problems. The results further showed that 108 adolescents were exposed to media before sleep for 30–60 minutes, 88 for more than 60 minutes, and 66 for less than 30 minutes. Significant differences in sleep hygiene were observed between these groups. Adolescents with the shortest media exposure before bedtime demonstrated the highest level of sleep hygiene. This group also reported significantly lower levels of both internalizing and externalizing problems compared to adolescents with longer media exposure.

Conclusion:
The aim of this study was to provide insights into the associations between behavioral sleep habits in older school-aged children and their psychosocial functioning and difficulties, which have substantial implications for daily personal, peer, and school life. In the context of supporting students’ mental health, our findings may contribute to the empirical evaluation of sleep hygiene recommendations.

Acknowledgement:
This study was supported by the VEGA project 1/0681/25: Sleep, Media Exposure and Physiological, Emotional and Behavioral Indicators of Mental Health in Slovak Adolescents.

Keywords:

Sleep hygiene, media exposure, externalizing and internalizing problems, older school-aged children.