The above findings pertaining to Singaporean preschoolers are especially worrying in the context of what is known
about the importance of sleep. Literature suggests that
children with later or irregular bedtimes, short sleep time
and daytime sleepiness have lower academic achievements
than normal children. In addition, sleep deprivation is
associated with increased incidence of learning disorders,
unintentional injuries, obesity, impaired immunity and
mood and anxiety disorders. Hence the significantly shorter
duration of sleep that Singaporean preschoolers obtain may
have implications on their long-term health and academic
performance. In particular, it is of note that the younger
preschoolers in the 2-year-old age group are having a much
shorter sleep duration than their Caucasian counterparts.
Without clear evidence of daytime sleep being an effective
substitute for nighttime sleep, the findings are certainly a
cause for concern. Further analysis of correlation, if any,
between sleep duration and daytime symptoms and sleep
problems and comparison of the same with Caucasian
studies was difficult as the studies often did not have
comparable age groups and used different instruments to
measure sleep problems.