Interactive screen time has a big impact on sleep among teens

A recent study from Penn State has revealed that interactive screen time such as texting and gaming are more detrimental to adolescents’ sleep than passive screen engagement like watching television. 

The research sheds light on how different types of screen usage can variably impact sleep patterns in teens.

Interactive screen time

The study was focused on the sleep habits of 15-year-olds. The experts found that those engaging in interactive screen time before bed took approximately 30 minutes longer to fall asleep compared to those who avoided such activities. 

And it was not just interactive screen time before bed that affected kids’ sleep, said the researchers. For each hour that kids spent playing video games beyond their usual routine during the day, their sleep was delayed by about 10 minutes.

Significant sleep loss

“If teens typically play video games for an hour each day, but one day a new game comes out and they play for four hours, that’s three additional hours more than they typically play,” said study lead author and postdoctoral scholar David Reichenberger.

“So, that means they could have 15 minutes of delayed sleep timing that night. For a child, losing 15 minutes of sleep at night is significant. It’s especially difficult when they have to get up in the morning for school; if they’re delaying their sleep, they can’t make up for it in the morning.” 

“Without adequate sleep, kids are at increased risk of obesity, as well as impaired cognition, emotion regulation and mental health.”

How the research was conducted

For the analysis, the team conducted daily surveys with 475 adolescents, inquiring about their screen-based activities, including communication methods and entertainment preferences. 

In addition, the researchers employed accelerometers to accurately track the teens’ sleep duration over a week. These devices, typically worn on the wrist, provided insights into the participants’ activity levels to infer sleep patterns.

Key findings 

The study revealed that teens spent an average of two hours per day communicating digitally and around 1.3 hours playing video games. 

Despite these figures, the most substantial sleep delays were noted in those who engaged in interactive screen time during the hour before bed, leading to about 30 minutes of delayed sleep onset.

Passive screen time

Interestingly, said Reichenberger, the team found no significant associations between passive screen-based activities and subsequent sleep, like browsing the internet and watching television, videos and movies.

“It could be that these more passive activities are less mentally stimulating than interactive activities, like texting and video game playing.” said study co-author Professor Anne-Marie Chang.

Limiting interactive activities 

Addressing the question of what parents can do to help protect their teens’ sleep, Professor Chang said it’s a tricky situation.

“These tools 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 Chang.

The study is published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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