GENEVA: Teenagers whose parents ban smartphones in the evenings and do not allow phones in bedrooms overnight sleep longer and even perform better in school, according to a Swiss study.
On average, teenagers slept 40 minutes more than their peers whose smartphone use was not restricted, the researchers reported in the journal Discover Public Health in September.
Study author Kevin Mammeri and colleagues from the University of Geneva surveyed 329 teenagers aged 13 and 15, focusing on sleep habits and household smartphone rules.
Their research found that other restrictions, such as daily screen time limits or fixed bedtimes, did not significantly impact sleep duration.
Mammeri said that other factors, such as household education levels, were not examined in this study. These could also influence sleep duration, but the link between strict evening rules and longer sleep was significant.
"Parents therefore have a key role to play," he said. "Their involvement directly influences their children’s health and success." He added that rules should be established before children turn 15, as it becomes harder to correct bad habits after that age. – dpa/Tribune News Service
