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The myth that falling asleep to the TV is good for children is now dispelled by a study from the University of ‘Massachusetts-Amherst. Developmental specialists and neuroscientists there studied some 470 preschoolers and their parents using electronic sleep monitoring and questionnaires for behavioral assessment.

Thirty-four percent of the kids had TVs in their bedrooms, and those children slept 17 fewer minutes per 24 hours than those without bedroom TVs. They tended to require longer daytime naps and spent an average of 12 minutes more asleep during the day.

TV viewing during the day also had effects on sleep patterns. The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend limiting TV viewing for 2 to 4 year olds to one hour of high quality, educational programming a day, and the viewing should occur with a parent if possible.

The study showed that only 46% of kids had viewing habits that met these guidelines. Those children whose daily TV screen time did meet guidelines and amounted to less than one hour a day were found to clock 22 more minutes of nighttime sleep.

Like any other children’s activity, screen time should be thoughtfully planned and carefully monitored. As always, moderation is the best policy.

Abigail F. Helm, Rebecca M.C. Spencer. Television use and its effects on sleep in early childhood. Sleep Health, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2019.02.009

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Inappropriate TV Exposure Robs Young Kids Of Healthy Sleep: Best Of: May 2019

Dr. Howard Smith Reports