Screentime Tips for Sleep-deprived Tweens – New Study Unlocks Secrets to Better Rest

It is no secret that screen use around bedtime can mess with your kids’ sleep.

Researchers say getting enough shut-eye is especially important during adolescence to support physical and mental growth. 

They analyzed data from nearly 94-hundred preteens and found about a quarter of them had sleep disturbances related to their screen use. But they also discovered 4 habits that help improve the problem.

Number One: Keep screens outside the bedroom. Having a TV or digital device in the bedroom was linked to shorter sleep duration.

Number Two: Turn off the smartphone.  The lead author says, “…Leaving notifications on, even in silent mode, leads to less sleep compared to turning the phone off completely or keeping it outside the bedroom.”

In fact, 16% of the tweens surveyed said a call, text or email had woken them up in the past week.

Number Three: No screentime before lights out. Checking social media, playing video games, browsing the internet, and watching or streaming content while in bed were all linked to shorter sleep.

Number Four: If you wake up during the night, don’t reach for the phone or click on social media. Reading or responding to messages disrupts overnight rest, but nearly 20% of tweens admit they do it.

The study co-author says adolescence is a time of physical, psychological and emotional changes and “Understanding this process and being present to support youth in their social media use is crucial.”

Source: Journal of Adolescent Health

 Author Affiliations: University of Toronto, University of California, San Francisco