Limiting evening exposure to blue-light emitting screens on smartphones, tablets and computers can reverse sleep problems and reduce symptoms of fatigue, lack of concentration and bad mood in teenagers, after just one week, says a study.
The researchers found that those who had more than four hours per day of screen time had on average 30 minutes later sleep onset and wake up times than those who recorded less than one hour per day of screen time, as well as more symptoms of sleep loss. “Adolescents increasingly spend more time on devices with screens and sleep complaints are frequent in this age group," said study co-author Dirk Jan Stenvers from Amsterdam UMC hospital in the Netherlands.
Lack of sleep doesn’t just cause immediate symptoms of tiredness and poor concentration but can also increase the risk of serious long-term health issues like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
