Too much screen time harms preschoolers’ sleep and behavior

THURSDAY, Dec. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Too much screen time can sabotage preschoolers’ sleep, potentially turning them into terrors around the house, a new study warns.

Poor sleep can exacerbate children’s struggles with poor attention span, hyperactivity and mood, the researchers reported Dec. 12 in the journal Early child development and care.

Worse, kids can end up in a downward spiral, with screen time and poor sleep feeding off each other.

“Our results suggest the presence of a positive feedback loop, in which increased screen time and sleep disturbances exacerbate each other through cyclical reinforcement, increasing the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression,” the researcher said. Dr. Bowen Xiaoexpert in socio-emotional functioning and developmental psychopathology of children with Carleton University in Canada.

For the study, the researchers surveyed the mothers of 571 preschool children between the ages of 3 and 6 who attended seven public kindergartens in Shanghai.

Mothers reported the amount of time their children spent with a television, smartphone, computer, or other screen device. They also answered questions to assess any behavioral problems their children might have, as well as the quality and duration of their sleep.

“Our results indicate that excessive screen time can leave preschool children’s brains in an arousal state, leading to poor sleep quality and duration,” the researcher said. Yan Lipreschool education expert from Shanghai Normal University.

The researchers also noted that previous research has indicated that screen time can lead to hyperactivity and emotional problems among children.

This study suggests that screen time may be to blame, the researchers said.

“This poor sleep may be due to delayed bedtimes caused by screen viewing and disruption of sleep patterns due to overstimulation and blue light exposure,” added the lead author. Shujin ZhouPhD in Psychology from Shanghai Normal University.

“Screen use could also replace time that could have been spent sleeping and increase levels of physiological and psychological arousal, leading to difficulty falling asleep,” Zhou said in a journal press release .

These results could point the way to future treatments for hyperactivity and mood problems among young children, Zhou said.

“The implications of our study are twofold: first, controlling screen use in preschool children may help mitigate behavioral problems and poor sleep quality, and second, sleep interventions and treatments may be effective in mitigating adverse effects of screen time. behavior problems,” Zhou noted.

More information

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about poor sleep and children’s mental health.

SOURCE: Taylor & Francis Grouppress release, December 12, 2024