This is for parents.
A recent study emphasizes the crucial role of turning off smartphones to ensure tweens get adequate rest. Published in the Journal of Adolescent Health on July 22, the report highlights that keeping a phone’s ringer on can increase the likelihood of sleep disruptions by 25% for children aged 11 and 12.
The research discovered that 16% of tweens had been disturbed in the past week by incoming calls, texts, or emails. The findings also showed that simply setting phones to silent or vibrate was less effective in mitigating sleep issues compared to turning the device off completely. Dr. Jason Nagata, the study’s principal investigator and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, explained that notifications, regardless of their type, can interfere with sleep and keep tweens awake, especially if they check their phones after waking up during the night.
The study, which drew on data from nearly 9,400 children as part of a broader investigation into brain development and child health in the U.S., also found that having a television or internet-connected device in the bedroom is linked to shorter sleep durations. Activities such as using social media, playing games, or streaming content before bed were associated with reduced sleep time.
Kyle Ganson, a researcher from the University of Toronto, pointed out the unique challenges faced by adolescents during this stage of development. He emphasized the importance of understanding and supporting their use of social media and other online activities. The results of the study suggest that reducing smartphone and internet-connected device usage at bedtime can substantially enhance sleep quality for tweens.
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