Teens and screen time: Types matter when it comes to sleep

Teens who play video games or text with their friends before bed may lose more sleep than those who choose television or other types of “passive” screen time.

Researchers from three colleges looked at survey data from nearly 500 adolescents. Participants were asked if they played video games, internet surfed or watched TV an hour before bed. The researchers used accelerometers to measure how long each teen slept during a one-week period.

They found that participants who talked or texted on the phone or played video games in the hour before bedtime went to sleep 30 minutes later than participants who chose less-interactive types of screen time – such as watching TV or videos.

“These tools (technology) are really important to everyone nowadays, so it’s hard to put a limit on them, but if you’re really looking out for an adolescent’s health and well-being, then you might consider limiting the more interactive activities, especially in the hour before bed,” said study author Anne-Marie Chang, associate professor of biobehavioral health at Pennsylvania State University.

The study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.