Time spent in front of the screen has no significant impact on children's sleep, says study

According to new research, the time spent in front of the screen might not have such an impact on children's sleep.

Findings from the Oxford Internet Institute of Oxford University revealed that every hour spent on digital devices of school-aged children represented only a three to eight minute reduction of sleep per night.

It has long been thought that children who spend more time with digital devices suffer from worse sleeping habits.

Professor Andrew Przybylski, author of the study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, said, "The findings suggest that the relationship between sleep and the use of screening in children is extremely modest.

"Every hour on the screen was associated with three to eight minutes of sleep less per night."

The research, titled Digital Screen Time and Pediatric Sleep, found that teens who abstain from any technology sleep an average of eight hours and 51 minutes per night.

However, teenagers who spend eight hours each day on screens spend an average of eight hours and 21 minutes of sleep a night.

Professor Przybylski rather suggested that the focus be on other factors related to family and daily routine when it is desired that children sleep better.

He said, "Focusing on bedtime routines and regular sleep patterns, such as regular waking hours, are far more effective strategies for helping young people sleep than thinking that screens themselves play a role. important."

The blue light omitted from the screens has already been associated with sleep problems, but Professor Przybylski is not sure of the importance of their role.

He said, "The next step is research into the precise mechanisms that link digital screens to sleep.

"Although" blue light "technologies and tools have been implicated in sleep problems, it is unclear if the role of causality is important.

"The screens are here to stay. Transparent, reproducible and robust research is therefore needed to understand how technology affects us and how we best intervene to limit its negative effects. "