Is your family tired from being wired? 

Is everyone, especially the children, sleeping well at night?  If not, how much exposure does everyone have to tech devices and gadgets before bedtime?

Studies, like this one from Ohio State University, show a very strong correlation between electronic devices such as cellular phones, tablets, computers, and even television, and sleep deprivation.  While the OSU study examined adults ages 18-39, a common result from a variety of studies indicates that the reason electronic devices cause restless sleep has to do with the frequency of the light they emit. 

This is a huge factor in our ever-growing population of youth using technology.  If this is bad for the adults, then it clearly can not be good for kids!

Of course, this technology also provides us with a lot of benefits – communication, entertainment, education and even family time are all facilitated by our phones, tablets, and computers.  Finding the balance between these gadgets and sleep-time is tough, especially when we rely on them so much.  Even some adults swear they can’t get to sleep without a television in the background, despite the mountains of evidence proving that this actually interferes with restful sleep.  In fact, even using media devices as much as thirty minutes before sleeping can disrupt rest, for both children and adults!  What can parents do to curb this?

The American Pediatric Association has some strategies for parents about getting kids unplugged before bedtime to ensure restful sleep.  However, the most important thing is awareness of the effects of screentime before bedtime. 

We rely on our technology so much that often we don’t give it a second thought, so it’s vital to be aware – both for yourself and for your little ones – what the effects of screentime actually are.  Armed with this information, you can devise your own ways to ensure that your kids – and even you – have a good night’s sleep, uninterrupted by media devices:

This post was written by Amy Williams