Analysis Of Kids With Bedroom Smartphones Sleep Less By Alan Mozes

Bryant, N. B., & Gómez, R. L. (2015). The teen sleep loss epidemic: What can be done? Transla-tional Issues in Psychological Science, 1(1), 116-125. doi:10.1037/tps0000020

Many do not believe that we have a technology problem in today’s society. But, ninety-five percent of people use technology an hour before they go to sleep (How Technology Affects Sleep). This is an alarming amount of people who use technology before they go to sleep. You do not have to be looking directly at the technology to trigger the pineal gland to stop releasing melatonin (Kim). Many also believe that lack of sleep due to technology does not affect how they do their daily jobs. Seventy-five percent of those over 30 that reported not getting enough sleep said that when they were tired that their sleepiness effected their daily work (Tarkan). For a school age kid ten hours of sleep is needed. Teenagers also need about nine to ten

One big problem with modern day technology, is that it is affecting our sleep. Most of us technophile teens are used to falling to sleep with TV’s light flickering a show to soothe us into sleep. Others might end the day by scrolling their social media’s news feed until their eyes begin to feel heavy. For example, a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 95% of people use some type of computer, video game, or cell phone at least a few nights a week within the hour before bed (www.sleepfoundation.org). Unfortunately, those night time rituals are most likely messing with their sleep patterns. Neuroscientists presume the glowing lights emitted by TV, smartphone and laptop screens mess with your body's sleep-inducing hormones

Even though technology has a negative connotation when sleep is involved, technology actually can help, instead of hinder, your ability to sleep. There are plenty of apps created for the purpose of helping the downloader sleep better. With all the negatives, the positives of technology are often overlooked, such as these apps. Technology would continue to assist today’s society, even though there are some downsides.

Over the years, electronic media has contributed different ways in the modern society, especially young adults, who has been the largest group among media users. The use of Electronic Media has recently raised a concern regarding to sleeping behaviors that are presented among students around the world. Since the early 21st century, researchers have conducted a study that shows the connection between electronic media and sleeping patterns with young adults (Journal of Sleep Research, 2014, 389). As students increasingly continue their habits of using Electronic Media as personal entertainment purpose, they are at a potential risk of developing insufficient amount of sleep as well as encountering health problems. Even though Electronic Media has given students access to their education and promote social network connection, Electronic Media use should be limited at school because too much exposure to Electronic Media can cause health problems and social isolation among young adults and the use of electronic media interferes with students sleeping habits.

There are a lot of things that probably keep us from sleeping at night. The most common three are the cell phone, television and computer. David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation reports, "While these technologies are commonplace, it is clear that we have a lot more to learn about the appropriate use and design of this technology to complement good sleep habits."

Generation Z is addicted to social media because it is the first thing they worry when they wake up. They pick up their phones to see what people posted in the morning, the afternoon, and the evening. Dr. Helen Driver, a somnologist (with means the study of sleep), explains, “The explosion of social media and people staying on devices for longer – and taking them to bed with them – is a huge problem”. Social media has effected Generation Z’s by sleep because the light is from the electronics which interferes with sleep. Not only does social media affect the quality of sleep but, the quantity of sleep too. The next morning, they only got a few hours of sleep and they do not feel well both physically and mentally. If someone has issues with turning off their electronic devices in the evening, then they should dim the lights or and turn the power off.

Have you ever gotten lost in the Internet, swallowed by the constant updates on Twitter and Facebook for hours, when you only meant to be on for a few minutes? This is a constant battle in our society and technology changes and our use of it increases. It is becoming a bigger issue every day, and now it affects one of our basics psychological needs: sleep. Though I concede with Brooke Gladstone, author of “The Influencing Machines” that we can adapt to technology as it grows, I still insist that some issues that arise with technology are bigger than Gladstone portrays and we need to find solutions for some of the bigger problems that technology creates, especially when it disturbs a basic psychological need.

For example, Bronson and Merryman revealed that children are too distracted with technology like television and cellular phones. Since children were allowed to have personal cellular phones, the use of cell phones has been a distraction of their daily sleep and parents are not fully monitoring this behavior. For example, children know they need sleep, but they refuse to do so because they want to know what is happening on their social media apps like Facebook and Instagram. Television is also a sleep distraction due to most televisions being placed in the children’s bedrooms. Children claim that they are staying up by choice due to not being able to complete homework or study for exam due to after school activities, but children also reveal how much time they spend on their cell phones that contain many distractions to prevent them from focusing on their academic responsibilities. Parents should strongly monitor their children’s technology use. For example, the parents must lecture their children about time management and if the child continues to become distracted with technology, they can ban them from the child in order for him/her to complete homework on time and have longer hours of

Social media does not only have a negative effect on the brain of an adolescent, but also the sleep one may receive. Most adolescents send a text message before they go to bed and keep their phone close to their bed or under their bed so they do not miss important messages throughout the night (Lenhart, Ling, Campbell, & Purcell as cited in George, 2014). A survey with over 900 pupils between the ages of 12-15 were asked about how often social media affected their sleep. In the study it was stated that one

I think my mom kind of got tired of me asking, “Can I please have my phone back,” but she really didn’t make it known. Even taking away my electronic devices didn’t seem to help me sleep any better. I still had hard times falling asleep. My mom would sometimes come in my room and say, “You are still awake, you went to bed a whole hour ago.” I would always respond, “I just can’t go to sleep, I don’t know why.” This happened about every school night, so eventually she gave in. She knew that electronics was not the problem here, so I went from starting the year off going to sleep without my phone, to finishing the year with it. Sometimes it is just hard for anyone to go to sleep, but others believe this is only certain when your smart phone is involved. I think that where you sleep plays an important role. If you sleep on a hard mattress, or even a sleep sofa, sleeping becomes harder. “The bedroom environment can have a significant influence on sleep quality and quantity. Several variables combine to make up the sleep environment, including light, noise, and temperature. By being attuned to factors in your sleep environment that put you at ease, and eliminating those that may cause stress or distraction, you can set yourself up for the best possible sleep.” “In this book, Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow reveals how you can

There is more use of technology now than there ever has been before. Technology can be great, but there are some issues that are not looked at cautiously, and they can have negative effects on the adolescent body. Adolescents are becoming adults, and there is not a more important time to get enough sleep so that the body can recover and grow as necessary. Studies are finding that cell phone use is harming adolescents ability to get adequate sleep on a nightly basis. The Centers for Disease Control found that adolescents need eight and a half to nine and a quarter hours of sleep every night, with the youngest adolescents needing towards nine and a quarter, and the older needing eight and a half (qtd. in Adams, Daly, and Williford). The use of cell phones up to one hour before bed time is greatly interfering with the sleeping schedules of adolescents (Adams, Daly, and Williford). Lack of sleep sounds like just a drowsy, unproductive school day, when in actuality lack of sleep over extended periods of time, and even one night, can cause great health issues presently as well as later in life. Just one bad night of sleep can cause drowsiness during the day. Getting behind the wheel of a car, while drowsy, can have the same repercussions as driving under the influence. The National Sleep Foundation survey found that about 60% of drivers have been drowsy while driving, and that a third

Sleep deprivation from overnight texting is posing a threat to teen’s academic success and their physical health. (Breus). “The twenty-first century has hit us with a growing phenomenon among a teen, teen’s reaching for phones, firing off messages, and waking with no recollection of their actions.”(Breus) With sleep texting the beep of a cell phone awakens a person so he or she will reach over and respond to a message with gibberish, however no recollection in the morning. This can be looked at as the same disruption as sleepwalking. Experts are urging parents to get a hold on this behavior with teens asking that all electronics be kept out of the bedrooms, and cutting off teens from phones by ten o’clock in the evening. Poor sleep quality leads to daytime sleepiness which affects concentration.

According to the "Sleep Deprived Teens" article, teens that go to bed with their devices are twice as likely to be sleep deprived. 70% of kids and teens go to sleep with two or more devices in their room and almost half of them have phones. “Teenagers who used their computers in bed almost every night of the week were 2.5 times more likely to have a short sleep on weekdays than teens who didn’t use the devices,” says Dr Nathaniel

Too much screen time can cause increased obesity, increased aggression, sleeping problems and potential mental health problems. The only way we’ll get enough sleep is if we make ourselves to put our phone up. Most teens stay at risk because we’re afraid that if we put our phone down or turn the television off, we’ll miss something important. It’s not necessarily hard for myself to put my phone down at night because I be so tired from school throughout the week, I can just close my eyes and fall