Bedtime for kids should mean lights out for smartphones, tablets

Using smartphones and tablets before bed has been found to be very disruptive to sleep patterns, especially in children, according to a study conducted by researchers at King’s College.

Checking social media emails on mobile devices throughout the day, including while one is in bed, is almost second nature to many. It represents the last chance of the day to check the news or update friends. However, researchers, in work published in JAMA Pediatrics, found device use during bedtime was associated with poor sleep quality and inadequate sleep quantity, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness.

"With the ever growing popularity of portable media devices and their use in schools as a replacement for textbooks, the problem of poor sleep amongst children is likely to get worse," wrote Ben Carter, PhD, MSc, lead author of the study.

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