Are Your Kids Having Trouble Sleeping? It Could Be Bedtime Screen Time

In a recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, researchers investigate the potential link between bedtime screen use in early adolescents and sleep outcomes after one year. Overall, bedtime screen use was associated with shorter sleep durations and increased sleep disturbances one year later in early adolescence. Research shows that screen use, which includes television, computers, and mobile phones, increases during early adolescence between the ages of 10 and 15 years and has been associated with academic, mental health, and sleep issues. Adequate sleep is vital for adolescents’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive development. In fact, early sleep problems can be used to predict behavioral and emotional concerns, as well as weight gain later in life.

The present study included 9,398 participants between 11 and 12 years of age. Screen usage around bedtime was assessed using a nine-item survey that included various screen activities, device presence, and phone usage at bedtime. The activities included gaming, social media use, texting, video calling, internet browsing, and watching movies, videos, or television. Overall screen usage data were collected through the Youth Screen Time Survey, which calculated average daily screen time.

Source: News Medical