Viewing screens on electronic devices such as computers, cell-phones, tablets, or television has a negative effect on teenagers sleep patterns, according to new research. The authors conclude that recommendations should be updated and new guideline developed for healthy electronic media use before bedtime.
A study of nearly 10,000 Norwegian teenagers, aged 16 to 19, has lead researchers to conclude that use of any device during the hour before bedtime can significantly lengthen the time between when a teenager goes to bed and when they actually fall asleep. The researchers asked the participants how much screen time they engaged in outside of school hours, as well as questions about their sleep routines.
On average the teenagers reported needing eight to nine hours of sleep to feel rested; however those teenagers who spent more than two hours viewing screens after school were more than three times as likely than the others to sleep for less than five hours a night.
Original research paper published in BMJ Open on February 2, 2015.
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