Multiple studies in recent years have found too much time on social media can have an impact on our health - physical and mental. Now, a new study claims more than three hours of screen time can disrupt your sleep pattern.
For the study, researchers examined data of 11,872 teens from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, which is a nationally representative and multidisciplinary survey that studies adolescent development.
The adolescents that were part of the research revealed how much time they spent on social media daily and the different social networking sites they used like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp.
With the help of the data, the team made the following observations:
* 34 per cent of the teens reported spending less than one hour a day on social media
* 32 per centreportedthey spent one to three hours a day on social media
* 14 per cent used social media for three to five hours a day
* 21 per cent used social media more than five hours a day
The teens also provided information on their sleep habits like how much they slept and how long it took for them to sleep. They also revealed if they faced any challenges in regards to sleep. The team found those who used social media the most exhibited poorer sleep patterns. They also had trouble sleeping throughout the night.
"Teenagers may be lying awake because they are not ready to fall asleep and then struggling to disengage from social media because they don't want to miss out," Dr Holly Scott, from the school of psychology at Glasgow University, told a news portal.
Dr Max Davie, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, urges children and young people to improve their sleep quality for the sake of their overall health. "We recommend that young people stay off all screens for at least an hour before bed so their brains have time to wind down," Dr Davie told a news portal. Adding,"Lack of sleep can have a significant negative impact not only on young people's wellbeing, but on their relationships with family and friends and in terms of reaching their full potential at school."
The study's findings were originally published in the journal BMJ Open.
Picture Courtesy: Google Images
