The impact of parental nonstandard work schedules on children’s sleep duration and screen time: sex heterogeneity in Japan

Nozaki, Yuko (2026): The impact of parental nonstandard work schedules on children’s sleep duration and screen time: sex heterogeneity in Japan.

Abstract

Using data from the 2010 birth cohort of the Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century, this paper examines how parental nonstandard work schedules (NSWS) and children's screen time are associated with children's weekday sleep duration, with particular attention to sex heterogeneity. The analysis reveals a modest but statistically significant reduction in daughters’ weekday sleep (approximately 4 minutes per night), whereas no corresponding association is detected for sons. Paternal NSWS is not significantly related to sleep duration for either sex, a pattern that is consistent with limited variation and measurement constraints in fathers’ work schedules in this dataset. Longer screen time (television viewing and video gaming) is strongly associated with shorter sleep for both boys and girls. Overall, the results suggest that the direct impact of parental NSWS on children’s sleep is limited in magnitude, but that attention to children’s screen use and family-friendly scheduling for mothers working nonstandard hours—especially in families with daughters—are likely to support healthier sleep habits.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Nonstandard work schedules; Child sleep; Screen time; Sex differences.
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Behavior; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J22 - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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