According to a recently published study, children should not sleeping near mobile devices, as this affects your sleep quality. But since when? a baby or toddler Sleeps with a cell phone nearby? Well, it's easier than it seems, especially if it's a baby who sleeps in their parents' room. The possible options and scenarios are many and often go unnoticed in daily routine.
According to this study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, a smartphone in a child's room could undermine good sleep habits, even more than television. The research, conducted with more than 2.000 elementary and middle school students, found that having a smartphone or tablet in the bedroom was associated with less sleep during the weekdays and with daytime sleepiness.
"Studies have shown that screens and traditional screen use, such as watching television, can interfere with sleep, but much less is known about the impacts of smartphones and other small screens., said study lead author Jennifer Falbe of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.
The small screens are a particular concern because they provide access to a wide variety of content, such as games, videos, websites, and text messages, that can be used in bed and delay sleep. In addition, they also emit audible notifications from incoming messages that could disrupt your night's rest.
Falbe said he found that both sleeping near a small screen and sleeping in a room with a television were linked to increased shorter sleep duration on weekdays. "Children who slept near a small screen, compared to those who didn't, were also more likely to feel as if they weren't getting enough sleep.".
Children need more and better sleep
"Despite the importance of sleep for children's health, development, and performance in school, many don't get enough.", Falbe commented. Lack of sufficient sleep impacts attention, mood, and learning. from an early age.
Los preadolescent children of school age need at least 10 hours of sleep a day, while the teenagers need between 9 and 10, advises the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. These recommendations are a guide to building nighttime routines consistent and healthy.
For this study, researchers focused on the sleep habits of nearly 2.050 children of both sexes who had participated in one of the Massachusetts Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Study editions.
The children were in fourth or seventh grade in one of 29 schools. More than two-thirds of the children were white, and about a fifth were Hispanic. Although this is a specific group, the trends found are replicated in other educational contexts.
Everyone was asked about the electronic devices in the room, what time they went to bed, what time they woke up, and how many days in the previous week they had felt that needed more sleep.
While children with a television in the room They said they were sleeping 18 minutes less on weekdays than those who did not have a personal television, that number increased to 21 minutes among those who slept near a smartphone, regardless of whether they also owned a television, the study found.
Going to bed with a smartphone available was also linked to a later bedtime having a TV in the room: 37 minutes later, versus 31 minutes, the researchers noted.
And children who slept with a smartphone were more likely to feel that they needed more sleep of what they slept, compared to those who did not have a smartphone at bedtime. This perception of insufficient rest was not observed among children who only had a television in their room.
What the broader evidence says
Systematic reviews that encompass dozens of studies with large samples of children and adolescents have confirmed the pattern: the use of cell phones or tablets at bedtime Is associated with fewer hours of sleep, worse quality of it and more daytime sleepiness. In comparisons between those who use screens before going to bed versus those who do not, it has been observed that it is much more frequent who sleep less than recommended, who present Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep and that they accumulate daytime fatigue.
A particularly relevant finding is that children who They just have devices in the room, even if they don't use them before sleeping, they also show worst results in quantity and quality of sleep. This reinforces the recommendation of remove the screens from the bedroom to promote healthy habits.
Overall, various reviews estimate that between one third and one half of sleep problems in children and adolescents could be related to the use of devices, especially when used at dusk or remain lit at night.
Why screens interfere with rest
Blue light and melatonin. The blue light from screens suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps the body know it's time to sleep. Exposure to this light at night disrupts the circadian rhythm, delays the feeling of sleep and shortens the night's rest.
Cognitive stimulation. Playing games, watching videos or chatting on social networks is highly stimulating. That mental activation keeps the brain alert when it should be lowering revolutionslarvae, nymphs, and adults, so it is harder to fall asleep and the rest is more superficial.
Notifications and micro-wake-ups. Audible warnings or vibrations, even if brief, help microarousals that fragment the dream. Silence is not always enough: curiosity or the habit of check the mobile after a warning it can lead to several minutes of wakefulness.
Time shiftScreen time at night competes with the bedtime and can go delaying the onset of sleep day after day. Going to bed later reduces the total hours slept, something especially harmful on school days.
Constant access. Maintain devices permanently lit increases the temptation for nighttime use. In recent surveys, a large proportion of children and adolescents recognize using screens in the hour before bedtime and keep the phone connected at night, which makes stable rest routines difficult.
Consequences associated with little or poor sleep
Sleeping less than necessary or with poor quality of sleep is related to worse school performance, more irritability y attention difficulties. Associations with have also been described headache, visual fatigue due to prolonged exposure to screens, and increased risk of daytime sleepiness that interferes with daily activities.
Experts warn that the combination of intensive use of devices y poor sleep hygiene can contribute to emotional disturbances, increase of Sedentary lifestyle y weight gainIn contexts where screens replace physical activity and delay rest, the likelihood of unhealthy habits and risk behaviors in adolescents.
What can parents do?
Falbe suggested that establishing basic rules on technology could help encourage healthier sleep patterns. For example, parents can create "curfews" for electronic devices, limit general access to screen time, me Ban television and internet-enabled devices from the bedroom of the child, he said.
"Although further studies are needed to confirm these findings, our results provide additional support for the current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations that parents should be advised to set reasonable but firm limits on their children's media use.", Falbe said.
Dr. David Dunkin, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City, agreed.
"There is a lot of convincing data that small screens disrupt sleep cycles, both in adults and adolescents"He said. "And that could have a long-term health impact. More studies are needed to look at all the variables together..
He also stressed that pediatricians should share and back up the academy's advice when talking to parents about the presence of televisions and small screens.
- Set a screen curfew. Avoid using devices between 60 and 120 minutes before bedtime. Replace that time slot with calming activities: reading on paper, gentle stretching or breathing.
- Remove devices from the bedroom. Leave your phone charging in another room. If your child uses the phone for music or white noise, turn it off. "Do not disturb" mode and deactivate all notifications.
- Turn on night mode. Configure the warm light filter automatically at dusk on mobile phones and tablets, and reduces the gloss from the screen.
- Turn off notifications at night. Use tools like Screen time o Family Link to limit apps and block nighttime notifications.
- Family Technology PlanAgree on clear rules: no screens at meals, no screen in bed and consistent schedules for everyone. Involve children in decisions.
- Supervision and content. Check out what do they consume and adapts the rules to the age and maturity. Prioritize uses Educational scope and creative as opposed to pure nighttime entertainment.
- Preach by exampleChildren imitate adults. If parents leave their cell phones outside the bedroom and respect their own curfew, children adhere better to the rules.
- Watch for warning signs. Mood swings, daytime fatigue, descent of the school performance or resistance to leaving the mobile phone may indicate that it is advisable review routines.
"Children growing up in a digital environment need support, consistent boundaries, and, above all, an environment conducive to rest.". Experts in child neuropsychology remind us that, regardless of the parenting style or whether the child shares a room with the parents or not, presence of screens in bed tends to worsen sleep for their light and the excitement they provoke. The key is in combining affection and boundaries so that sleep comes naturally.
A realistic approach starts from the idea that technology is part of everyday life, but that the rest is essential. Turn off notifications, set screen-free bedtime routines and keeping devices out of the bedroom are measures simple and effective which, when applied consistently, improve the duration and quality of children's sleep. With small adjustments sustained over time, the night becomes synonym for calm even in highly digital homes.
