Teens, texting and mobile media

A recent US study canvassing the behaviour of 40 young people with sleep issues found, on average after lights out, each individual sent a whopping 33.5 texts or emails per night!

According to the survey, boys are more likely to surf the internet and play games online after bedtime while girls are more likely to use their mobile phone or send text messages.

And in an earlier Belgian study surveying 2,500 13 or 16 years old teenagers, researchers found almost half of the 16 year old sample said they had been woken at night by incoming text messages and a quarter of the 13-year-old contingent reported sleep disruptions related to incoming text messages.

These findings illustrate how disruptive digital media can be to children’s sleep.

And as anyone who uses text, email or instant messaging knows, sending a message is just one part of the equation. The anticipation of a response motivates both sender and receiver to stay alert rather than relax or go to sleep.

But more worryingly for parents, the physician heading up the US study said most of the individuals he surveyed also reported learning, behavioural, or cognitive issues.

The growing popularity of digital media in Australia is well documented. A 2005 study looking at international media usage habits by Yahoo! and media agency OMD, found young Australians topped the list for text messaging, ranked second for owning or regularly using a game console, and came in third for using games on mobile phones and instant messaging.

How to curb the bad habits

Despite all the adverse findings it’s not all bad news. There are a few things parents can do to limit potential harm.

Wise up to media habits

The first step in managing children’s media usage is to understand their habits. Make it your business to know how, when and why they are using mobile phones, computers or gaming devices. If your child is tired most mornings but seems to be going to bed at a reasonable hour, checking their mobile phone and online activity could be a good first port of call.

Set boundaries

If it’s obvious your children are using media well into the night, setting a curfew on electronic devices may be in order. The younger the child, the better the chances of such a scheme working – but there is no harm in attempting to manage the habits of older teenagers. Just try to set realistic limits rather than go from an all to nothing approach.

Lead by example

It might sound preachy but if you want your children to follow good bedtime routines, you need to lead by example. If mum and dad sit up to all hours watching TV, texting or banging out emails children will probably follow suit.

Focus on family

Although teenagers tend not to be overly family-friendly, parents should attempt to make evenings as relaxing and family oriented as possible.

It might not always be easy, but insisting on traditions like sitting down and having dinner together, minus any electronic distractions, can create a more calming atmosphere which might help discourage texting, gaming and emailing.

If your children’s media habits are already kept well in check yet they regularly display symptoms of fatigue or are having trouble sleeping, it might be time to adjust diet and their physical activity levels (either increase if low or decrease if very high).

Investing in good quality multivitamin supplements such as Blackmores Kids Multi, Blackmores Teen Multi for Guys and Blackmores Teen Multi for Girls may help support normal mood and behaviour. If all else fails, seek medical advice as ongoing sleep issues in children can have a significant impact on future health and wellbeing.

References available on request