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Whether it’s watching a movie, listening to music, scrolling through social media, or texting, young people’s bedtime habits involve the presence of a screen. According to a Canadian study, these practices raise concerns about the effects they could have on the quality of sleep of preteens.
A studyled by the University of Toronto, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, highlights sleep disturbances linked to the use of screens before going to bed in young people.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 9,000 preteens aged 11 to 12 between 2018 and 2021. These young people were asked about their sleep habits and their use of screens and social networks at bedtime. The results were clear: a quarter of the preteens had sleep problems.
Nearly two in ten teens (16.2%) reported being woken up at least once in the past week by phone calls, text messages or emails. Nearly 20% said they used their phone or another device if they woke up during the night.
These data show that the use of screens before bed is correlated with a deterioration in the quality of sleep in young people. For most of them, who have their electronic devices still on during the night or in the bedroom, their accessibility is necessarily more obvious.
“Our research has shown that leaving notifications on, even on silent, leads to decreased sleep compared to turning off the phone completely or leaving it outside the bedroom.” explains lead author Jason Nagata, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, in a communicated.
“Ensuring that adolescents get enough sleep is vital as it supports their physical and mental growth and development.” he adds.