Sleep is vital for our health - especially for kids and teens - but screen time sometimes gets in the way.
Many of us might recognize that it can be a challenge to make sure our teen is getting enough sleep - and it doesn’t get any easier with the presence of a smartphone or gaming device.
Kids need a lot of sleep. Teens may also need to sleep at different hours of the day than the rest of us, which often makes them go to bed later than everyone else and enjoy sleeping in. Unfortunately, their daily life does not allow this, as they have to wake up early for school.
Today, most kids and teens sleep less than the recommended 8-10 hours, leaving only less than a third of them well-rested and ready for the day.
There may never have been a time in history when kids got enough sleep, but research shows a drastic decline in how many hours of sleep they get over the last 20 years.
At the same time, the number of hours spent on screens has increased. Today, most kids and teens sleep less than the recommended 8-10 hours, leaving only less than a third of them well-rested and ready for the day.
Be mindful of evening screen time
For many kids, and for teens especially, the evening is a time to relax, connect with friends, and watch programs that help them unwind from the stresses of school or social life. This often leads to tiredness and difficulties focusing at school the next day.
Research studies have uncovered that -and most families will recognize this- what keeps them up at night is mostly streaming movies, texting friends, scrolling social media, or gaming. Some teens report being disturbed in their sleep because of buzzing notifications or just have a habit of waking up to check for new notifications.
The late-night screen time can result in bedtime being delayed or having trouble falling asleep. When kids are busy with friends or entertainment online, they are not getting ready for bed.
Sometimes, the late-night conversations with friends or scrolling triggering content can be either upsetting or exciting enough to keep the mind energized for a long time after the lights are out, making it hard to fall asleep.
The consequences of too little sleep
The list of consequences for not getting enough sleep is long. Here are some of the areas that can be affected by lack of sleep:
- Immune system
- Attention span
- Concentration
- Memory
- Mental health and mood
- Tolerance and empathy
- Physical strength and performance
- Blood pressure and blood sugar
While evening screen time can offer valuable moments of relaxation or social connection, it’s important to ensure it doesn’t interfere with our kids’ sleep.
Hopefully, this can serve as inspiration for creating healthy bedtime routines together with your kid.
