According to a new study, putting the cellphone aside before going to sleep can be good for one and all as texting before going to bed can affect sleep and moods.
Dr. Peter G. Polos of JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J., and colleagues found that text messaging and other electronic communication media were associated with excessive movement during sleep, insomnia, and leg pain at night in students ages 8 to 22.
From in.news.yahoo.com:
The report linked “high rates of daytime cognitive or mood problems … including ADHD, anxiety, depression, learning difficulties,” with late-night usage of mobiles and other electronic media.
“Attempts at limiting use at bedtime appear to be reasonable,” ABC News quoted the researchers as saying.
They suggested that parents set appropriate times for text messaging and other technology use and take proactive steps like moving computers out of the bedroom.
The participants averaged 33.5 text messages or e-mails sent per night to an average of 3.7 people for a total of 3,404 text messages per person per month.
These occurred from 10 minutes to four hours after bedtime.
Dr. David D. Gutterman of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee said physicians should ask questions about technology use when evaluating children for sleep issues.
Tags: ADHD, anxiety, cellphone, depression, electronic communication media, learning difficulties, sleep, sleep issues, technology use, text messaging
