Screen Time May Affect Teens’ Sleep

triloks/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Whether for entertainment or academic reasons, almost all American teens use some sort of electronic device in their bedrooms.

Teens are also sleeping less, on average less than 6.5 hours each weeknight.

To learn more, researchers in Norway surveyed over 9,000 adolescents, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ Open, and found that almost all used an electronic device within one hour of going to bed.

Cumulative daily screen time is linked to teen sleep problems. Between texting, tweeting, gaming, studying and TV, electronic devices have become a key part of teenage life.  

More daytime and bedtime screen time was associated with worse sleep, according to researchers, creating longer time to fall asleep and less sleep overall.   

With more screen time, researchers found teens had the worse sleep, regardless of when the device was used.

Researchers say parents and teens alike should be aware of the negative outcomes of excessive screen time.

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