Turn Off, Tune Out, Get Some ZZZs
Sleep experts say it’s time to “unplug” your children so they can get some shuteye. Apparently, it’s no longer things that go bump in the night that are keeping your kids up late – it’s the things that go buzz, ring and bing at all hours.
Electronic devices keeping kids up at night
A study in the journal Pediatrics shows that many teens are not getting adequate sleep because of their electronic devices, such as cell phones, MP3 players, televisions and computers.
The study reports that teens are staying up late and multitasking themselves into sleep deprivation. One hundred teens between the ages of 12 and 18 were asked about how much time after 9 p.m. they spend using some form of technology. The results were:
- 82 percent reported watching television
- 55 percent reported being online
- 44 percent reported talking on the phone
- 43 percent reported listening to an MP3 player
- 36 percent reported watching movies
- 34 percent reported text messaging
- 24 percent reported playing computer games
On average, the teens reported engaging in four technology activities, and tended to do more than one at a time. Researchers found that only 20 percent of the teens got the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep; those who multitasked more got the least amount.
Help your teen get a good night's sleep
To ensure your teen is getting enough sleep:
- Set a rule that all electronics are to be turned off at bedtime, including computers, game systems, etc.
- Set a “turn off” time for the cell phone.
- Check your child’s cell records to check on when calls and texts messages are made/received. According to a study published in the journal Sleep, many teens talk or text message on their cell phones after bedtime; some youths surveyed admitted being on the cell into the wee hours of the morning. If you find that the cell is not being turned off at bedtime, collect it each night and return it each morning.
- Remove computers, televisions and game systems from the bedroom and place them in a central location in the home, such as a den or family room. If your child uses a laptop, set a time to turn it off; if it is not turned off, collect it at night and return it in the morning.
Reviewed by: Patrick S. Pasquariello Jr., MD
Date: October 2009
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