The effect of mobile phone use at night on the sleep of pre-adolescent, early adolescent, and late adolescent children: A study of 252,195 Australian children

Authors: Valentina Salcedo Correa, Stephanie Centofanti, Jillian Dorrian, Andrew Wicking, Peter Wicking, Kurt Lushington

Year: 2022 Apr 8

Category: Sleep Health

Journal: Sleep Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2022.02.004

URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35400615/

Abstract

Overview

This study investigates the impact of nighttime mobile phone use on the sleep quality of Australian children ranging from pre-adolescent to late adolescent stages, encompassing a large sample size of 252,195 participants.

Objectives

To explore if the known link between mobile phone use at night and poor sleep in adolescents extends to younger, pre-adolescent children as well.

Design and Participants

Involving a cross-sectional survey, the study included data from 84,915 pre-adolescents (8-11 years), 99,680 early adolescents (12-14 years), and 67,600 late adolescents (15-18 years).

Measurements

Assessment involved querying the frequency of obtaining at least 8 hours of sleep and nighttime mobile phone usage for communication between 10 PM and 6 AM.

Results

Evidence from binary logistic regression analyses suggests a significant association of nighttime mobile phone use with reduced likelihood of obtaining sufficient sleep across all age cohorts, including pre-adolescents.

Conclusion

The findings reaffirm the detrimental effects of nighttime mobile phone use on sleep, indicating the negative implications extend to even younger children. The increased prevalence of smartphone usage calls for enhanced community and educational interventions to address media use and promote better sleep habits among children.

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