Summary of Optimizing Teen Sleep – Scientists Reveal the Secret:
A new study has suggested several ways teenagers can optimize their sleep. The study suggests that teens keep screens outside the bedroom, turn off device notifications, avoid social media use in bed, and refrain from checking phones if they wake up at night. Researchers analyzed data from over 10,000 preteens aged between 10 and 14. They found that having a TV or internet-connected device in a bedroom was linked to a 27% higher risk of trouble falling or staying asleep. Leaving the phone ringer on was linked to a 23% higher risk of the same issue. Adolescents who avoided social media use while in bed saw improved sleep quality.
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How to Improve Teen Sleep: Keep Screens Out of the Bedroom and Turn Off Notifications
The American Psychological Association and the US Surgeon General have issued advisories on social media’s implications for adolescent mental health. Research has shown that excessive use of social media correlates with poor sleep quality among teenagers. A new study published in Sleep Health provides valuable insight into screen-related behaviors associated with improved sleep.
Teenagers and screens
Adolescents who refrain from having screens in their bedrooms, disable notifications and abstain from using social media while in bed experience enhanced sleep quality. Parents should encourage teens to keep screens outside the bedroom, turn off device notifications, avoid social media use, and refrain from checking phones if they wake up at night.
Screens and sleep quality
A study of 10,280 preteens aged 10-14, part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, found that having a TV set or internet-connected device in the bedroom was associated with a 27% higher risk of having trouble falling or staying asleep. Leaving the phone ringer on was associated with a 23% higher risk of having trouble falling or staying asleep than turning it off. Social media, chatting on the internet, playing video games, browsing the internet, and watching or streaming movies, videos, or TV shows before sleeping were all associated with trouble falling or staying asleep. If teens wake up during the night, don’t use your phone or engage with social media. One-fifth of adolescents reported using their phone or other device after waking up at night in the past week. This was associated with a 34% higher risk of sleep troubles.
The importance of sleep for teens
“Getting enough sleep is crucial for teenagers because it helps their body and mind grow and develop properly,” says lead author Jason Nagata, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Adolescent development is challenging for many, given the social pressures and physical, psychological, and emotional changes. Understanding the centrality of social media and smartphones to this developmental process, and being present, is crucial for parents to their child.”
The National Institutes of Health and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation funded the study.
Conclusion
Research has repeatedly shown that excessive screen use can negatively affect mental and physical health. The new study highlights the importance of sleep for teenagers and the detrimental impact of screens on sleep quality. By encouraging teens to keep screens out of the bedroom, turn off notifications, and avoid social media use in bed, parents can help their children develop better and healthier sleep routines.
