Our students are now surrounded by electronic devices daily. From laptops for homework, phones for staying in touch with friends, TV programming, and with a whole variety of gaming options, there is hardly a break from these devices. When it comes to sleep, researchers have found that spending time with screens before bed leads to not only less sleep, but sleep that is less restful, and later bedtimes for children.

This means no screen time (computer, TV, phones or video games) at least thirty to forty-five minutes before bed. The blue light from the screen activates our visual cortex and stimulates the brain to wake up at the very time we are trying to fall asleep. This is particularly true for children as their eyes have larger pupils and more transparent lenses. That means your child is absorbing more blue light when looking at a screen before bed. Electronics and Sleep Disruption.pdf (85.1 KBs)