(ANSA) – ROME, SEPTEMBER 3 – Kids who use smartphones or other electronic devices in bed, after going to sleep, sleep less than those who don’t. Interactive activities, such as gaming, have a greater impact. This is what emerges from a study published in the journal Jama Pediatrics, which, however, contradicts previous research: the negative effects of smartphones and screens on sleep are observed only when they are used once you have gone to bed and not in the hours immediately before.
“In the digital age, adolescents are spending more time than ever in front of screens, potentially to the detriment of their sleep. Therefore, the American Academy of Pediatrics and health bodies internationally have recommended that adolescents stop using screens 1 to 2 hours before bedtime,” write researchers from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The team analyzed the behavior of 79 children between the ages of 11 and 14 and assessed the effects of device use on sleep. On average, the children spent 56 minutes with their smartphone or other screens in the two hours before bed. Surprisingly, the researchers found that this type of use had no effect on sleep.
The effects were instead observable when the devices were used after bedtime. “Screen use during the interval between bedtime and attempting to sleep was significantly associated with shorter sleep duration,” the researchers write. “Interactive screen use, such as gaming and multitasking, was particularly problematic, although passive screen activities, such as watching movies, were also associated with shorter sleep duration,” they conclude. (ANSA).
2024-09-03 20:44:42