The Use Of “touch” Screens Alters Your Child’s Sleep
Children who spend a lot of time playing with smartphones or tablets lose sleep based on the hours of entertainment they spend in front of the touch screen each day, according to a British study that studies sleep patterns in babies.
It should not be forgotten that these devices, beyond being a distraction, have other effects on babies. Research affirms that they discourage curiosity, emotional ties and amazement for the world around them, and all this depresses a child easily and without being able to notice it.
Every hour that children spend playing with touch screens is linked to representing 15 minutes less sleep, that is, they sleep less at night, but more during the day, evidencing a normal sleep disorder, point out the researchers from Birkbeck, University of London.
It should not be denied that with respect to technology, both its benefits and its harmful effects are always accessed. Regarding the use of devices such as smartphones or tablets, their positive contributions are undeniable, although paradoxically they also keep the child away from interaction with others.
So much technology can be distracting
In relation to babies specifically, numerous criticisms have been aroused about the enchantment they cause in children. It is worrying to see how they put aside the universe of imagination and how they lose the capacity for admiration that is undoubtedly the most beautiful gift of childhood.
Touch devices are the best excuse to avoid or avoid interaction with others and in a child these effects are greater since they lose concentration very easily. Excessive use of these devices will disinhibit children’s social skills
When a child uses a device, their brain releases dopamine, the same satisfaction hormone that an adult releases. Children become addicted to this sensation early on, which unfortunately they do not find in everyday stimuli.
The use of touch screens has its advantages and disadvantages
On the other side of the same coin, children who play with touch devices easily develop fine motor skills from an early age, say the experts, who for their research questioned 715 parents with children under three years of age.
Questions posed by the researchers to parents were about how often their children played with a smartphone or tablet and the sleep patterns their children had, the responses surprised Birkbeck specialists.
The information provided by parent volunteers showed that 75% of children use a touch screen daily, with 51% of them between six and 11 months of age, but the percentage rose to 92% among children between 25 and 36 months.
In general, children slept about 15 minutes less for every hour of touch screen use, according to the researchers, and in turn suggest that parents have to set limits on the duration for this type of entertainment, in order to avoid lose time of vital sleep among other things.
Researchers affirm that every minute counts when it comes to children’s development issues, the hours of sleep are vital in this without forgetting that an important part of it is obtained through rest through sleep.
Screens “scares sleep”
The use of touch devices, especially before sleeping, reduces the presence of melatonin, which is essential for falling asleep. This is considered a destabilizer of the biological clock, especially in children.
The results of this study are not definitive, but those responsible say that it is one more sign that suggests that touch screens have some relationship with sleep problems during early childhood among many other effects.
Although a child using a device seems concentrated, in reality it is proven that it permanently distracts them, they lose interest in what is happening around them; their curiosity is also withdrawn. The use of devices takes away their attention span, essential for learning.
The best bet is to follow clear and inflexible rules about the amount of time that young children should spend in front of the screens, says the specialist, in particular that they avoid using them before bedtime.
