The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recently released its 2011 Sleep in America Poll, Exploring Connections with Communications Technology use and Sleep.

The poll found that many teenagers from Generation Z (13 to 18 year olds) are using some type of electronic device like a television, computer, video game or mobile phone in the bedroom during the hour before they try to sleep.

Lauren Hale, PhD, Stony Brook University Medical Center says “The higher use of these potentially more sleep-disruptive technologies among younger generations may have serious consequences for physical health, cognitive development and other measures of wellbeing.”

About 50% of 13 to 18 year olds watch TV directly before going to bed. This is often followed by using mobile phones to text, make or receive calls directly before trying to sleep.

“Artificial light exposure between dusk and the time we go to bed at night suppresses release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, enhances alertness and shifts circadian rhythms to a later hour—making it more difficult to fall asleep,” says Charles Czeisler, PhD, MD, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
 
“This study reveals that light-emitting screens are in heavy use within the pivotal hour before sleep. Invasion of such alerting technologies into the bedroom may contribute to the high proportion of respondents who reported that they routinely get less sleep than they need.”

Computer or laptop use is also common. 55% say they use their laptops or computers to surf the net almost every night within the hour before bed.

“My research compares how technologies that are ‘passively received’ such as TVs and music versus those with ‘interactive’ properties like video games, cell phones and the Internet may affect the brain differently,” says Michael Gradisar, PhD, Flinders University (Australia).

“The hypothesis is that the latter devices are more alerting and disrupt the sleep-onset process. If you feel that these activities are alerting or causing you anxiety, try doing something more ‘passive’ to help you wind down before bed.”

14% of generation Z’ers (13 to 18 year olds) say they play video games every night or almost every night before going to sleep. This is twice as many as 19 to 29 year olds.

Mobile phone use, specifically texting and talking on the phone, shows a significant age gap. 56% of 13 to 18 year olds and 42% of 19 to 29 year olds say they send, read or receive text messages every night or almost every night in the hour before bed compared to 15% in the older age brackets.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: National Sleep Foundation. 2011 Sleep in America poll: Communications Technology & Sleep.