Fear-themed digital media exposure and sleep regulatory sensitivity in school-aged children: preliminary observations toward a developmental PhenoSleep construct

Introduction Fear-themed digital media exposure is increasingly common in school-aged children, yet its developmental implications remain insufficiently understood. Rather than conceptualizing frightening content as inherently pathogenic, emotionally intense media may act as a mild arousal stimulus within a neurodevelopmental system characterized by heightened limbic reactivity and still-maturing regulatory control. The present study examined whether fear-themed exposure is associated with dimensional variability in sleep regulatory sensitivity, consistent with a tentative developmental PhenoSleep construct. Methods This cross-sectional study included 132 children aged 5–11 years (mean age = 8.69 years, SD = 2.01), divided into an exposed group ( n = 66) and a non-exposed control group (n = 66). Engagement with fear-themed content (Huggy Wuggy) was assessed using an ad hoc exposure questionnaire (TOT_HW). Emotional-behavioral functioning was measured with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and sleep regulation with the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). Independent-sample t -tests and Pearson's correlations were performed. Results Compared to controls, exposed children showed higher CBCL Total Problems and SDSC Total Scores. Domain-specific differences were modest and not uniformly distributed across subscales. Within the exposed group, engagement intensity showed small positive associations with selected social, cognitive, and sleep-related measures, consistent with dimensional variability rather than overt dysfunction. Conclusion The findings do not support a deterministic psychopathological effect of fear-themed digital exposure. Instead, they are compatible with the interpretation that emotionally salient media may function as a mild environmental probe revealing interindividual differences in sleep regulatory sensitivity. We tentatively introduce the PhenoSleep construct to describe developmental variability in sleep continuity and arousal modulation in response to emotionally intense stimuli. Longitudinal and physiologically informed studies are required to further examine and refine this developmental regulatory model.