Impact of Devices on Children’s Sleep a ‘Major Concern’ for Researchers

Submitted by Judy Hanning on Mon, 2017-02-13 17:00
The use of electronic devices by children and adolescents at or near bedtime is affecting the quality and the quantity of sleep children are getting. The study looks at blue light emissions from such devices as televisions, games consoles, and portable devices like tablets and smartphones and its impact on the ability to fall asleep, or stay asleep.

Children across the country are finding a major negative impact on their sleep and researchers indicate that it a cause for concerns.

Not only does the use of these devices at or near bedtime effect the sleep outcome of children, but even having access to these devices in the sleep environment even when not used before bed has been shown to cause negative sleep outcomes. Poor sleep at night can be shown as excessive daytime sleepiness as well as decreased functioning in the daytime.
In a review of 20 recent studies covering four continents and more than 125,000 children, the team found a “strong and consistent association between bedtime media device use and inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness.”
~ Education Week

Key Takeaways:

1
Sleep quality and quantity is affected by using electronics before bed.
2
The use of electronics at bedtime is considered a major public health concern.
3
The shift to technology in schools even gives researchers pause due to the use of most children.
Read the full article here:
http://www.readingrockets.org/news/impact-devices-childrens-sleep-major-concern-researchers