![]() ![]() ![]() Sleep disrupted like this over time can cause severe sleep deprivation that can result in serious physical and mental health problems. These nighttime interruptions can have highly negative effects on the child’s mood, behavior, focus, and all other aspects of behavior the next day. Then they struggle to fall back to sleep because they are thinking about whatever happened via text or on social media. It is not unusual for my teenage patients to report that they are awakened multiple times each night to respond to notifications on their smartphones. 2 If the child wakes to answer a text or look at the Instagram post, it not only reduces the amount of sleep they are getting but makes it harder for them to go back to sleep. Notifications, ringtones, and other sounds coming from devices during the night can wake children and disrupt their sleep. The use of electronic devices can also create difficulties with staying asleep. Loss of even a half hour of sleep can negatively impact their behavior the next day. This is especially problematic for children because they need more sleep than adults. Using devices near bedtime increases the likelihood of problems falling asleep. 1 These devices emit a type of blue light that tricks the brain into thinking it is daytime. Use of electronic devices makes it harder to fall asleep, disrupts sleep during the night, and causes poorer quality sleep in general. Overuse of devices, particularly close to bedtime, can negatively impact sleep for children and adults. Many people aren’t aware of the direct connection between electronic device use and sleep problems. This is quite a large list of potential problems with electronics! Let’s take a look at these issues with more detail to gain a better understanding of the risks we take when we let our kids use electronics for long periods of time. Reduced ability to form social connections and relationships.Developmental issues (especially in young kids).Overexposure to electronic devices can have a huge impact on many areas of our kids’ health, and can cause a wide variety of related issues: How do Electronic Devices Affect Our Health? There are many areas of health and function that can be negatively impacted, and parents need to be aware of these problems in order to set expectations and boundaries that help kids develop healthy device habits. As both a clinician and a parent, I see firsthand the numerous mental and physical health issues that can happen to children, teens, and young adults when they spend too much time in front of screens, and too little time engaged with the people and activities around them. While electronic devices and digital media have certainly improved our lives in many ways, research has shown that many problems can result from overexposure. Parents and professionals have many questions and concerns about the impact these devices have on children, and the best ways to manage them to keep kids safe and healthy. The number of devices and types of digital media has exploded over the past 20 years and continues to grow. ![]() One of the top concerns raised by parents at my clinic is the amount of time children spend on electronic devices, and how to manage this issue without constant fights, arguments, and distress for everyone involved. ![]()
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