Smartphone or tablet use increases inadequate sleep in children, says study
Posted on: 03/Nov/2016 4:16:36 PM
A new study has found that kids who indulge playing games or watching videos on a smartphone or tablet even during bedtime may be over double the risk of having inadequate sleep, which may lead to various health issues. The study was conducted by researchers from the Cardiff University in Britain, and published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
According to the researchers, Sleep is an often undervalued but important part of children`s development, with a regular lack of sleep causing adverse physical and mental health consequences, including poor diet, sedative behaviour, obesity, reduced immunity, stunted growth and mental health issues. 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.
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. Our findings suggest that an integrated approach involving parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals is necessary to improve sleep habits near bedtime.
