Limiting screen time can resolve sleep problems in teenagers in just one week, according to a study. Limiting exposure to blue light-emitting screens on smartphones, tablets and computers also controls symptoms such as fatigue, poor concentration and low mood.
The researchers found that those who watched screens for more than four hours per day delayed sleep and wake times by an average of 30 minutes, as well as experienced more symptoms of sleep loss than those who did so for less than an hour per day.
“Adolescents are increasingly spending more time on mobile devices and PCs and sleep disorders are common in this age group,” said study co-author Dirk Jan Stenvers of Amsterdam UMC Hospital in the Netherlands. “Here we show very simply that these sleep complaints can be easily reversed through restriction,” Stenvers added.
Recent studies have shown that too much blue light emitted from smartphones, tablets and computers disrupts the brain's clock and the production ofsleep hormone melatonincan affect, resulting in disruption of sleep time and quality.
Not only does lack of sleep lead to immediate symptoms such as fatigue and inability to concentrate, but it can also increase the risk of more serious long-term health problems such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
A small group of 25 smartphone users took part in the study. Researchers examined how blocking blue light affects sleep patterns. The users either wore anti-blue light glasses or severely limited their screen time in the evening. Both methods resulted in sleep and wake-up times occurring 20 minutes earlier and participants' reported sleep problems significantly decreased after one week.
The study results were presented at the European Society of Endocrinology Congress, ECE 2019, in Lyon, France.
