Exploring the link between devices and adolescent sleep

New research in Brain & Behavior found a link between screen time and adolescents' sleep quality and beliefs about healthy lifestyles.

In the study of 700 teens attending 2 high schools in the Black Sea region of Turkey, questionnaire responses revealed that participants who spent more time exposed to screens tended to have lower sleep quality. These adolescents were also less likely to have beliefs supporting the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Screen exposure appeared to play a mediating role in the relationship between sleep quality and healthy lifestyle beliefs, meaning that poor sleep quality may lead to more screen time, which in turn can negatively affect beliefs about healthy lifestyles.

"It is recommended to promote interventions aimed at reducing screen exposure, increasing social interaction, and developing alternative activities among adolescents," the authors wrote. "Implementing these recommendations may help adolescents adopt healthier lifestyles, regulate their sleep quality, and reduce their screen exposure."