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Wide Awake in the Electronic Age: Our Kids' Sleep Habits Are SufferingBy Editorial Staff Smartphones, tablets and everything in between – chances are high that if your child's over the age of 6 (and in some cases, even younger these days), they're spending a considerable (read: unhealthy) amount of time engaged with portable electronic devices. At the same time, we're finding that kids are suffering from sleep deprivation in terms of time spent asleep and quality of sleep enjoyed. Is there a connection? Yes, say researchers who reviewed various studies on the topic – and the news is even worse than you might imagine. After reviewing 20 studies, researchers found that kids who used portable electronic devices near bedtime had more difficulty falling or staying asleep, and experienced poor daytime function because of sleepiness. Device use also contributed to lack of sleep compared to non-use: less than 10 hours per night for children and less than nine hours for teens.
Ready to limit your children's (or your own) screen time? Click here for three ways to get started. For more information on another potential negative health consequence of excessive smartphone / tablet use, click here. Page printed from: http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=2320&no_paginate=true&no_b=true |