Placeholder canvas

Bedtime Smartphone Use May Affect Kid’s Sleep, Health: Study

Date:

Parents, take note! Kids who use smartphones or tablets at bedtime may be at over twice the risk of having inadequate sleep, which may lead to various health issues such as obesity and a poor diet, a new study has found.

Researchers from Cardiff University in the UK, comprised a systematic review of 20 existing observational studies, involving 1,25,198 children, also found that sleep quality and day-time sleepiness were affected to a similar magnitude.

“Our study is the first to consolidate results across existing research and provides further proof of the detrimental effect of media devices on both sleep duration and quality,” said Ben Carter from Cardiff University.

ALSO READ:All you need to know about the new MacBook Pro!

“Sleep is an often undervalued but important part of children’s development, with a regular lack of sleep causing a variety of health problems,” said Mr Carter.

“With the ever growing popularity of portable media devices, such as smartphones and tablets, the problem of poor sleep amongst children is set to get worse,” he said.

“Our findings suggest that an integrated approach involving parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals is necessary to improve sleep habits near bedtime,” Mr Carter added.

Currently 72 per cent of children and 89 per cent of adolescents have at least one device in their sleeping environment and most of these are used near bedtime.

Such devices are thought to adversely impact sleep through a variety of ways including displacing, delaying or interrupting sleep time; psychologically stimulating the brain; and affecting circadian timing, sleep physiology and alertness.

ALSO READ:‘Let every citizen of Haryana pledge to protect the girl child’: PM Modi on Haryana’s ‘Swarna Jayanti’ celebrations

Sleep disturbance in childhood is known to lead to adverse physical and mental health consequences. Short and long term detrimental health outcomes include poor diet, sedative behaviour, obesity, reduced immunity, stunted growth and mental health issues.

The study appears in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

IPL 2024: PBKS Win Toss, Opt To Bowl Against KKR; Injury Keeps Mitchell Starc Out

In the match, KKR will look to bag another 2 points and inch closer towards playoff qualification

WhatsApp Says ‘Will Exit India If Asked To Break Encryption’

The messaging platform's legal representative voiced serious worries, stating that if forced to undermine the encryption that safeguards user messages, the business may think about pulling out of the Indian market

Anti-Israeli Protests: Indian Origin Student From Princeton University Arrested

Achinthya Sivalingan and Hassan Sayed, Tamil Nadu-born natives, were taken into custody early on Thursday morning after the demonstrators put up tents for camping in a university courtyard