Screen-time and sleep

How long do you spend watching TV shows or movies on your laptop every day? Or perhaps, how much screen time do you spend while at work or browsing through your smartphone? Spending significant time looking at screens can have a few adverse effects on your health, especially your sleep. Here’s a more detailed look at how excessive screen time can affect you adversely.

How does screen time affect sleep in children?

A lot has been talked about how screen time affects an individual’s sleep, especially in children. It is vital for children to get at least 8 to 9 hours of quality sleep every day to enable better physical and mental growth. But, spending longer durations viewing screens, especially before bedtime, can make them take longer to fall asleep. It also hinders their concentration and can gradually make them more lethargic.

How does it affect the eyes?

Blue light from electronic screens is known to affect your vision. It is linked to concerns such as blurry vision, strained eyes, cataracts, macular degeneration, and also reduces the quality of sleep. Ultraviolet rays and blue light increase the risks of developing eye diseases as you age. Further, blinking less frequently while viewing digital screens can lead to severe strain of the eyes.

What is melatonin?

The release of the hormone melatonin, responsible for inducing sleep, would be hindered upon viewing digital screens for as little as 2 hours a day. As a remedy, it would be advisable to reduce the screen-viewing time before 3 hours of going to bed. When it comes to children, the duration of screen viewing is increasing alarmingly in recent times. Parents ought to try and cut down their children’s indulgence with smartphones or digital gaming. Instead, they should be encouraged to involve in more physical activities and outdoor sports.

Please reach out to us if you require help in this regard, and our team of experts will guide you further.