Cross-sectional associations of nighttime sleep and daytime nap duration with myopia in preschool children: the mediating role of body mass index

By
Xiumei Chen
Dan Liu
Wei Du
Changhua Wu
July 7, 2026
0 min

Frontiers In Medicine

Overview

This study investigates the relationship between nighttime sleep and daytime napping duration with myopia in preschool children, finding a 21.29% prevalence of myopia. Both sleep durations were negatively associated with myopia risk, with body mass index (BMI) partially mediating these associations.

Background

Myopia is a significant global public health concern, projected to affect nearly 5 billion people by 2050. The preschool period is critical for myopia prevention, as early onset correlates with a higher risk of severe complications later in life. Understanding modifiable factors such as sleep duration is important.

Data Highlights

Measure	Odds Ratio (OR)	P-value
Daytime nap duration	0.87	0.012
Nighttime sleep duration	0.48	0.031
BMI mediation effect (daytime nap)	24.79%	N/A
BMI mediation effect (nighttime sleep)	28.16%	N/A

Key Findings

The prevalence of myopia in the study population was 21.29%.
Daytime nap duration was negatively associated with myopia risk (OR = 0.87, p = 0.012).
Nighttime sleep duration was also negatively associated with myopia risk (OR = 0.48, p = 0.031).
A protective inflection point for daytime napping was identified at 38 minutes.
BMI partially mediated the associations of daytime nap and nighttime sleep with myopia.

Clinical Implications

Healthcare professionals should consider monitoring sleep patterns in preschool children as part of myopia prevention strategies. Encouraging adequate nighttime sleep and appropriate daytime napping may help mitigate the risk of myopia.