Children in a picture frenzy
Long screen time makes preschool children sleep less well. This is probably why the little ones tend to be restless during the day.
Long screen time, whether on a mobile phone, TV or tablet computer, is associated with hyperactivity, poorer emotional control and social problems even at preschool age. This is the conclusion of a study by Canadian and Chinese psychologists, who looked at the families of 571 children between the ages of three and six from seven kindergartens in Shanghai. The participating parents answered a series of questionnaires about their children's media consumption and sleeping behaviour, as well as their attention and restlessness during the day.
Sufficient restful sleep is essential for preschool children
According to the team led by Shujin Zhou from Shanghai Normal University, children's brains are particularly stimulated by videos and games. Sleep duration and quality often suffer as a result. Screen time of more than one hour a day proved to be a critical limit: longer screen periods were associated with noticeably more fidgetiness and behavioural problems.
According to the data, screen time probably does not influence cognitive and emotional control directly, but via impaired sleep. It is not so much the absolute duration of the night's rest that is decisive; rather, quality aspects such as falling asleep and staying asleep had a greater influence. Sufficient restful sleep is essential for preschool children, according to Zhou.
The new study is purely correlative and only analysed survey data, the psychologists admit. However, the results confirmed earlier findings from intervention studies that pointed to the mediating role of sleep.
Conclusion: Digital devices should be taboo, especially shortly before bedtime. The widespread practice of "parking" children in front of screens for long periods of time is also problematic. Reading aloud and talking or playing together in a quiet atmosphere usually helps to "wind down" better - and clears the mind the next day.
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