Research Article Association between Information and Communication Technology Usage and the Quality of Sleep among School-Aged Children during a School Week Sandra Ononogbu, 1 Marjut Wallenius, 2 Raija-Leena Punamäki, 2 Lea Saarni, 3 Harri Lindholm, 4 and Clas-Håkan Nygård 1 1 School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Medisiinarinkatu 3, 33014 Tampere, Finland 2 School of Social Sciences and Humanities/Psychology, University of Tampere, Kalevankatu 5, 33014 Tampere, Finland 3 Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Kuntokatu 3, 33520 Tampere, Finland 4 Centre of Excellence of Health and Work Ability, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, 00250 Helsinki, Finland Correspondence should be addressed to Clas-H˚ akan Nyg˚ ard; clas-hakan.nygard@uta.i Received 30 September 2013; Revised 10 December 2013; Accepted 20 December 2013; Published 28 January 2014 Academic Editor: Giora Pillar Copyright © 2014 Sandra Ononogbu et al. his is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Objective. To determine the association between intensity of information and communication technology (ICT) usage and quality of sleep in school-aged children during a school week. Methods. In all 61 subjects, 10–14 years of age, a quasiexperimental laboratory study where criterions for inclusion were absence of prior medical condition and duration of ICT use. A portable device (Holter monitor) was used to measure heart rate variability (HRV) over a 24-hour period, while activity diary was used to record in 15- minute intervals ICT use and sleep and wake up time. Low and high ICT user groups were formed according to their intensity of ICT use. Statistical analysis was done with two independent samples tests and factorial ANCOVA. Results. he higher ICT users showed a lower sleep time standard deviation of normal to normal interval (SDNN) measures in comparison to the low ICT users. Conclusion. he intensive ICT use was associated with poorer quality of sleep indicated by physiological measures among children and adolescents. Knowing the crucial role of healthy sleep in this age, the results are reason for concern. 1. Introduction he use of information and communication technology (ICT) such as computer use, internet suring, and video game playing enhances certain academic skills [1]. However, the increase of intense ICT usage among adolescents [2] is associated with adverse efects such as poor psychosocial health status [3]. In addition, a reduction in average sleep duration due to delayed bedtime, early waking up, sleep disruption by nightmares, and sleep walking are related to the use of ICT during the night time [4]. he compromise of the restorative potential of sleep by a reduction in its quantity and quality is found to undermine the daytime functioning of adolescents, manifested as irritability, day time sleepiness, and inability to concentrate or assimilate during academic activities [5]. Long-term adverse health efects, like poor sleep, are related to depression [6]. Sleeping patterns of depressed subjects are shown to be irregular compared with the nondepressed subjects [7]. In addition, the probability of developing anxiety or depression is much higher among adolescents with poor sleep [6]. Also an increase of body mass index [8], abnormal glucose metabolism [9], predisposition to certain cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension [10], reduction of immune responsiveness to certain infection [11], increased risk of accidents [12], and incidence of substance abuse [13], aggravation of certain illnesses such as seizure disorders [14], and psychiatric symptoms [15] are associated with poor sleep among adolescents. Violent gaming may Hindawi Publishing Corporation Sleep Disorders Volume 2014, Article ID 315808, 6 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/315808