More Evidence Against Keeping Electronics in Kids’ Bedrooms

Washington Informer January 6, 2015

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In this Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 photo, Frankie Thevenot, 3, plays with an iPad in his bedroom at his home in Metairie, La. About 40 percent of 2- to 4-year-olds (and 10 percent of kids younger than that) have used a smartphone, tablet or video iPod, according to a new study by the nonprofit group Common Sense Media. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

(Fox News) – Parents concerned about their children not getting enough sleep may want to remove televisions and other small electronics from the kids’ bedrooms, according to a new study.

Children who slept with televisions or other small-screened devices in their bedrooms ended up getting less sleep than children without those electronics in the room, researchers found.

“While more studies are needed to confirm our results, we know that too much screen time is bad for children’s health in multiple ways,” said Jennifer Falbe, the study’s lead author from the University of California, Berkeley.

Past studies found that having televisions in kids’ bedrooms is tied to less sleep (see Reuters Health story of April 14, 2014 here: reut.rs/1FbfcBj.) Less sleep is ultimately tied to other issues, including obesity and academic performance.