What would you say if I told you that there is one thing you can do to avoid sleep problems in your child as they get older, even into adulthood? It’s really easy. In fact, if you are lucky, you just have to avoid doing something. An added side benefit is that this intervention will help keep them from getting fat. Here it comes:
1. Don’t put a television in your child’s room.
2. If there is a TV in your child’s room, take it out. This is not a punishment. This is you taking care of your child’s health.
I see kids for a variety of sleep problems. Many of them have been present for years. Some, like obstructive sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome, are due biological reasons– these kids are going to have issues no matter what. Others are purely due to bad habits. Many are a mixture of both. There is a common thread in many of the problems characterized by dysfunctional sleep behaviors, there is one thing that I see over and over in children and teenagers with sleep problems: televisions, computers, and phones in their room, used during the time they should be sleeping. It is critical to avoid this if possible, or address if it is already a problem.
There is a lot of research documenting significant problems associated with television viewing in the bedroom.
- A seminal study of elementary school-aged children showed that television viewing around bedtime was associated with bedtime resistance, later sleep onset, anxiety about falling asleep, and overall shorter sleep duration.
- Increased television viewing during early adolescents has been shown to be associated with increased sleep problems during adulthood. I know several adults in their 60s who cannot fall asleep without the television.
- Television in the bedroom has been associated with obesity in preschoolers and teenagers. The likely mechanism is the relationship between television and short sleep, which has been associated with weight gain.
This has become so much more complicated in the era of smartphones, online gaming, and social media. Several years ago, a paper was published entitled “Adolescents Living the 24/7 Lifestyle: Effects of Caffeine and Technology on Sleep Duration and Daytime Functioning”. The authors developed a metric they called “the multitasking index” which described the use of various electronic devices (cell phones, TVs, computers) after 9 PM). As teens used more of these devices after 9 PM, they were more likely to be sleepy and use more caffeine, thus perpetuating the vicious cycle of adolescent sleep.
As you can imagine, it is hard to wrest an iPhone or laptop from your teenager once they are heavily reliant on them during the late night hours. That’s why it is so much better to set clear ground rules when your child is younger. I would recommend these rules for any parent.
- No TVs in the bedroom.
- Computers, phones, game systems should out of the room after 9 PM. Maybe a bit later for teens. I have seen many teens use the phone as an alarm. Don’t do this. Get them an alarm clock. This avoids surreptitious social media use in the evenings (Facebook, Twitter, texting, etc.)
This may seem punitive to some kids if it breaks an established pattern. To me, falling asleep with the TV is another problematic sleep onset association. Just like little kids may wake up at night and need a parent present to help them fall asleep, older children and adults may need the television to fall and stay asleep. The problem is that the light and sound can disrupt sleep quality. The fact is, everyone can sleep without it.
crunchyprogressivemama says
Every year at our well-child checkups our doctor asks if there are TV’s in the kids’ rooms, and every year I reply, “Not as long as I have breath in my body!”
Thanks for the clear references to research on this. I would also add that evening exposure to blue light (like the light emitted by TV’s and computers and iPhones/tablets) can also apparently lead to problem falling asleep. That in addition to the points about obesity and sleep problems in general should make this a no-brainer, not just for kids but for all of us, really. 🙂
Craig Canapari MD says
Thanks so much for you input. This is something I intuitively understand as a parent as well, but not everyone feels that way. I watched TV growing up but it wasn’t a huge part of our family life. Moreover, my folks never left the TV on unless we were watching something. A lot of this has to do with family culture. I have seen toddlers who “can’t” sleep without the TV, because the parents and grandparents don’t know how to.
A Jacobson says
Best way to do this and continue it is also to be a good example! We have only 1 TV in our home. We will NOT have TV’s in bedrooms! Not in guest bedrooms, not in our bedroom and definitely not in our kids bedroom! Thank you for the info. Will be hanging onto this for future discussions with grandparents/other parents/complaining kids!
Cathy says
I know a lot of parents feel that TV in their child’s room helps their child sleep, but I always advise them to try a fan for ambient noise. A lot of parents have told me that they’ve had success with that strategy. The light from the TV is distracting, but the noise from a fan will lull them to sleep along with the dimmer light.
Craig Canapari MD says
Thanks Cathy! My little ones have Marpac Sound Machines which are bullet proof. I do have some concerns about the fact that my older son struggles to sleep without one at this point.
There was an article on the effect of sound machines on children’s hearing. Based on my somewhat unscientific testing, I feel comfortable using them in my home:
Is Your Sound Machine Harming Your Child’s Hearing?