Electronic devices have become an integral part of most children’s lives. Kids use screen-based electronics throughout the day for schoolwork, entertainment, communication, and more. While technology offers countless educational and social benefits, there are also downsides to our widespread, easy access to these devices. One concern is the impact technology may be having on sleep.

There are a few ways that evening and nighttime access to electronic devices could affect how much kids sleep. Spending more hours of the night on screens leaves fewer hours for sleep, and stimulating content could decrease sleepiness.

Another mechanism through which electronics may affect sleep is through the blue light emitted by these devices. The screens of televisions, smartphones, tablets, computers, gaming systems, and certain e-readers all produce artificial blue light. However, we aren’t exposed to blue light solely through electronics. We get most of our blue light exposure from the sun. Additionally, light-emitting diode (LED) and fluorescent light bulbs — which have become increasingly common in homes due to their energyefficiency — produce blue light.

Exposure to blue light during the day from sunlight or other sources is a healthy promoter of energy and concentration. Daytime blue light exposure has also been shown to improve sleep quality and duration. However, using devices that produce artificial blue light in the evening and nighttime disrupts our natural sleep-wake cycle by tricking the brain into not producing melatonin before bed. This causes us to feel less sleepy than we should at bedtime.

FRY, Alexa Disponível em: <https://www.sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep/ how-blue-light-affects-kids-sleep>. Acesso em: mai. 2021 Adaptado.