Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Summary We systematically examined and updated the scientific literature on the association between screen time (e.g., television, computers, video games, and mobile devices) and sleep outcomes among school-aged children and adolescents. We reviewed 67 studies published from 1999 to early 2014. We found that screen time is adversely associated with sleep outcomes (primarily shortened duration and delayed timing) in 90% of studies. Some of the results varied by type of screen exposure, age of participant, gender, and day of the week. While the evidence regarding the association between screen time and sleep is consistent, we discuss limitations of the current studies: 1.) causal association not confirmed; 2.) measurement error (of both screen time exposure and sleep measures); 3.) limited data on simultaneous use of multiple screens, characteristics and content of screens used. Youth should be advised to limit or reduce screen time exposure, especially before or during bedtime hours to minimize any harmful effects of screen time on sleep and well-being. Future research should better account for the methodological limitations of the extant studies, and seek to better understand the magnitude and mechanisms of the association. These steps will help the development and implementation of policies or interventions related to screen time among youth.

Advancing a Biopsychosocial and Contextual Model of Sleep in Adolescence: A Review and Introduction to the Special Issue

“…In addition, 62 % of adolescents report using a mobile telephone (either calls or text messages) after ''lights out'' (Van den Bulck 2007). There is converging evidence showing media use to be negatively associated with teens' sleep functioning, including shorter sleep duration and delayed sleep onset in particular (see Bartel et al 2014;Hale and Guan 2014, for reviews). In a cross-sectional study of 738 young adolescents (ages 11-13) in the United Kingdom, technology use was associated with shorter sleep duration and difficulty falling asleep (Arora et al 2014).…”

Technology Use and Sleep Quality in Preadolescence and Adolescence

“…5,6,[11][12][13] The mechanisms by which the use of electronic devices at bedtime may impair sleep are related to cognitive, emotional, or physiological arousal, 5,14 while the displacement of sleep onset might be connected to exposure to bright light, especially with short wavelengths emitted by electronic devices, that can cause phase delays, typically postponing sleep onset. 15 When studying sleep behavior of preadolescents and adolescents, circadian preferences or electronic device use should always be taken into account because they play an important role in affecting quality of sleep.…”

A Novel Approach to Evaluating Mobile Smartphone Screen Time for iPhones: Feasibility and Preliminary Findings (Preprint)

“…As ownership and accessibility to mobile smartphones become ubiquitous so does the need for research into the implications, such as positive and negative health consequences. Recent research suggests high screen media usage is associated with poor sleep and diminished academic performance among adolescents and adults [5][6][7]. Thus, accurate and feasible methodologies to study mobile screen time are necessary to further understand these relationships.…”

“…Previous methodologies to understand mobile screen time have typically relied on traditional self-report and cross-sectional research design [5][6][7][8][9]. However, self-report is vulnerable to systematic and confounding bias [10].…”