Digital Distractions: Children Lose 7 Minutes of Sleep for Every Hour of TV

For many of us, spending an hour or two a day watching our favorite shows can be exciting, entertaining and a great way to relax. Yet a recent study shows for children in particular, too much TV may interfere with their sleep.

Researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and the Harvard School of Public Health found that children who regularly spend time in front of the tube may be missing out on some serious rest.

For the study, they examined data from more than 1,800 children ages 6 months to 8 years old. All of the their mothers' were enrolled in Project Viva, a long-term investigation of several factors during pregnancy that show potential indicators of health throughout the first years of life.

Each mother was asked to fill out questionnaires based on their child's TV exposure at the 6-month-old mark, and then once annually throughout the next seven years.

Findings showed that each additional hour of TV per day was linked to seven minutes less of sleep per night, with the problem more common in boys than girls.

Researchers said they believe that for children four to seven, sleeping in a room where a TV is present could cause a half-hour reduction in nightly sleep or more, particularly among minority groups.

Let's not forget that children need more sleep than adults. While many parents can get by on the recommended 8 hours a night, school-aged children (those 5 to 12) need between 10 and 11 hours of sleep a night. For preschoolers (3 to 5 years), it's even more at 11 to 13, according to The National Sleep Foundation.

Turning off the TV early as well as limiting its use daily may help your child get the recommended amount of sleep.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the May issue of Pediatrics.