A new study has revealed that an hourly increase in screen time is related to an 11-minute delay in bedtime and an 11-minute reduction in sleep duration. This association was also seen with increased TV/DVD watching, computer use, and smartphone/tablet usage. In addition, the results were the same regardless of gender.
Study Design
The Study Design for Sleep and Screen Time aimed to measure the effects of screen time and sleep on cognitive and physical health. Its findings are presented in this brief. It provides recommendations on screen time, sleep, and MVPA. Moreover, it shows that meeting the recommended sleep and screen time guidelines will improve academic performance.
Some studies show that screen time and sleep negatively affect health outcomes. One possible mechanism is displaced sleep.
Methods
Each night, children should get plenty of sleep. Children require at least ten hours of sleep per day, about the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children can spend 0 to 3 hours per day viewing television or playing electronic games. Parents should be consistent and impose restrictions on their children’s screen time. Parents can gauge their children’s sleep and screen time in various ways. The National Sleep Foundation also publishes recommendations for children’s screen time and sleep duration.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected sleep globally, leading to screen time and sleep duration concerns. A 2014 international study of fourteen countries found that screen time negatively impacted sleep. It affected 18% of the general population, 31% of healthcare professionals, and 57% of COVID-19 patients. In addition, several studies have linked screen time with reduced sleep quality, onset latency, and duration.
Results
Researchers have found that screen time may negatively affect sleep duration. The study of children found that the more screen time they had before bed, the later their bedtimes were. The study of adults also showed that screen time increased sleep onset latency and reduced sleep quality. Researchers have also found a link between screen time and psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 pandemic symptoms.
The researchers measured sleep and screen time with a variety of techniques. The first method was a systematic review of published studies. Next, researchers searched databases, including PubMed, Nursing and Allied Health Proquest, and Science Direct Health and Lifescience college edition, for articles that addressed these issues. In all, 119 articles were identified and assessed for eligibility. From these, 18 articles were included in the final sample.
Limitations
The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to changes in sleep, and screen time has been linked to decreased sleep in individuals during quarantines. This systematic review examines how screen time affects sleep in many ways. Specifically, we consider sleep duration, onset latency, and wake time. Several studies have argued that screen time negatively affects sleep, and several articles have attempted to counter these claims.
Our systematic sleep and screen time review found several limitations in most studies. These included using multiple outcome measures and a lack of consistency among studies. The sample sizes, methodologies, and outcome measures used were also varied. In addition, the instruments used to measure screen time were often heterogeneous, and the instruments needed more psychometric validation.
Recommendations
Despite the benefits of sleep, few adolescents are following recommended amounts of screen time and sleep. According to researchers, two hours per day is the maximum time children should spend in front of a computer. Studies from Australia and New Zealand suggest adolescents should limit screen time to four to six hours daily. While this recommendation may seem restrictive, it has been shown to positively affect academic performance and health.
There are several reasons why screen time can cause problems with sleep. For example, blue light from screens can delay the sleep phase. Artificial light can also interfere with the circadian rhythm. For example, researchers at Harvard found that college students who spent time on screen devices had a delayed circadian rhythm and produced less melatonin than those who read paper books.
