A recent study challenges the long-standing notion that screen time within two hours before bed negatively impacts sleep quality. Sleep expert Amanda Jewson shared insights into the research, distinguishing between passive and interactive screen use. Passive screen use, such as watching a movie or scrolling through social media, was found to have a minimal impact, reducing sleep by about four minutes for every ten minutes of content. In contrast, interactive screen use, like gaming or responding to stressful emails, was associated with a more significant reduction—17 minutes of sleep for every ten minutes of content.
This study also considered the context of screen use, focusing on content consumed in bed and its proximity to sleep. Amanda noted that passive activities, such as enjoying a movie, might not hinder sleep significantly because they are less stimulating. However, activities requiring executive function, like decision-making or solving complex problems, act like a mental workout, requiring more time for the brain to wind down. She compared this to physical exercise, where light stretching before bed is manageable, but an intense workout takes longer for the body to recover.
Interestingly, the study was conducted on adolescents aged 11 to 14, yet Amanda believes its findings can be extrapolated to adults due to similarities in melatonin production and circadian rhythms. However, she emphasized the need for further research involving adult participants to confirm these findings. Ultimately, she advised viewers to self-reflect and observe how their bodies respond to different types of screen use before bed.
While this study offers a fresh perspective, Amanda cautioned against universally relaxing screen time habits just yet. Instead, she encouraged using the findings as a starting point for understanding personal sleep patterns and how technology might affect them.
Contact Amanda at Rest My Best today to get better sleep!