Evening Screen Time Negatively Affects Kids' Sleep

Many young children have a problem going to sleep when it is their bed time. A recent study in the journal Pediatrics found that children between the ages of 3 and 5 had trouble sleeping if they had screen time after 7 p.m. Screen time includes television, video games or the computer. The amount of violent content in the program or game appears to be a contributing factor.

According to the study, about 20 percent of the 112 children involved had sleep problems almost every day of the week. Their issues included difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, nightmares and being sleepy during the day. The children who watched violent television at night had the most sleep problems.

A hundred children averaged a half hour of nighttime television, and 28 percent of the group had difficulty sleeping. When it came to violent television, 60 of the children averaged about an hour daily. About 37 percent had trouble sleeping. Television is often a stimulant to small children. Evening viewing may lead to increased alertness, and prevent them from winding down for bedtime. The findings demonstrate the importance that parents monitor the amount of television young children watch so they meet their sleep needs.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Dr. Marc Weissbluth a sleep disorders specialist at Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, said children get ready for sleep with nighttime rituals that communicate that it is time for rest. Many families mistakenly believe that watching television helps their children go sleep, so they put televisions in their children’s room. Weissbluth suggests bedtime stories or cuddling with parents as healthier alternatives to television.

The findings are consistent with another study on bedtime routines published in the May 2009 issue of SLEEP. The study found that a healthy bedtime routine improves the sleep of infants and toddlers.

Image by Sean Dreilinger

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iPad insomnia: Amazon Kindle better for your sleep than Apple tablet

With a nearly limitless library of books available for instant download, the Apple iPad is a tempting purchase for literature lovers.

There’s just one small deal-breaker: it’s bad for bedtime reading.

The device’s bright, colorful screen can get in the way of bedtime habits and encourage insomnia.

Over the weekend Frisca Yan-Go, director of the AASM certified UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, told the Los Angeles Times books won’t mess with your sleep cycle like the iPad.

“Light-emitting devices, including cell phones and yep, the iPad, tell the brain to stay alert. Because users hold those devices so close to their face, staring directly into the light, the effect is amplified compared with, say, a TV across the room or a bedside lamp, said Frisca Yan-Go, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center in Santa Monica.”

So using the iPad as an eReader isn’t much different than using a laptop or watching TV in bed, both habits we recommend against.

eReaders like the Amazon Kindle, appear to be a better alternative because they don’t give off light. The gadgets e-paper, a Sony developed technology that imitates the printed page.

AASM member and UCLA Neurology Clinic Director Alon Avidan also cautioned against using electronic gadgets before bed in an email to the Los Angeles Times. He did say however, that the Kindle is better for your sleep.

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Dr. Oz: Rejuvenate While you Sleep

According to Dr. Oz, making small changes to your bedtime routine can help you maintain or restore your youth while you sleep.

Dr. Oz notes that everyone has some sort of bedtime routine they follow each night. By adding some of the steps below, you might be able to slow or even reverse the effects of aging.

1. Wash your face with gentle soap that hydrates and exfoliates.

2. Use a moisturizer that contains vitamin A to avoid and erase wrinkles.

3. Use a humidifier to keep your skin well-hydrated.

4. Keep a glass of water next to your bed so you don’t have to get up if you are thirsty.

5. Take half of your vitamins in the morning and half at night so they stay in your system all day.

Taking the time to enhance your sleep routine and nighttime habits may increase the quality and quantity of your sleep.

Many Americans place sleep at the bottom of their priority list, and practice poor sleep hygiene.

Earlier this month, the Sleep Education Blog reported that making small changes to your bedroom and your bedtime routine can help improve your sleep.

AASM member Dr. Charles Czeisler recently told ABC News that "You need to set aside the time for sleep. You need a few hours to unwind before. It takes time for the brain to wind down."

Consult a board-certified sleep expert at an AASM-accredited sleep center if your problems continue after you have improved your sleep environment and bedtime routine.

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Getting Your Child to Sleep…Alone

Earlier this week on ABC, “Good Morning America” offered advice for parents whose children don’t like to sleep alone.

GMA correspondent Cameron Mathison went on a special assignment to tackle the issue. The location? His own house.


He and his wife Vanessa had been struggling to keep their two kids from sleeping in Mom and Dad’s bed. These co-sleeping parents would prefer to be sleeping solo. So family sleep therapist Jennifer Waldburger from Sleepy Planet came to the rescue.

She said that the whole family benefits when children learn to sleep well. Children who get enough sleep are smarter and happier, and they behave better.

“The benefits are huge,” Waldburger said. “As much as you love your kids now, you’re gonna’ love them even more when they are sleeping.”

She offered a variety of strategies to help parents who have this common problem. These included using morning rewards and having a “sleep party” in the children’s rooms.

After giving it a try, Cameron reports that they have had success for five days in a row.

“It worked!” he told GMA host George Stephanopoulos. “The point is they’re getting the sleep that they needed.”

Hundreds of viewers wrote the show with their own questions. Parenting expert Elizabeth Pantley answered some of these questions online.

Last month the Sleep Education Blog reported that “Living Well with Leisa” host Leisa Naples found a creative way to get her girls to wind down at night. She calls it “Family Spa Night.”

What about you? How have you taught your children to sleep in their own beds?

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Changes in Bedtime Routine and Sleep Environment Can Improve Your Sleep

According to a recent blog post, making small changes in her night time habits and bedroom have helped Glamour Magazine’s Cindi Leive improve her sleep during Sleep Challenge 2010.

Leive said that since she began the sleep challenge, her awareness of her sleep has increased, and that has made a positive impact. She notes that the small changes she made to her night time habits and bedroom have increased the quality and quantity of her sleep. Some of the changes include buying a new pillow, creating a bedtime routine, making her bedroom darker and keeping electronics out of her room. Leive has also given herself a bedtime.

After speaking with several sleep experts, including AASM member Dr. Michael Breus, Leive and Huffington have focused on the factors that were keeping them from getting the sleep they need. They are currently in the process of making lifestyle changes that will allow sleep to be included as a major priority.

Last year, the Sleep Education Blog reported that following a nightly bedtime routine can reduce daytime sleepiness. Research showed that the most effective strategies to feel less sleepy were taking a bath and going to bed at the same time every night.

In order to improve your sleep the AASM also recommends that you:

• Wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
• Avoid naps if you can during the day.
• Don’t drink caffeine in the afternoon.
• Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards in bed.
• Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.

Find more tips about good sleep hygiene at Sleep Education.com.Contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center if you have an ongoing sleep problem.

Image courtesy of Glamour Magazine

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Getting Young Children to Sleep

Leisa Naples knows how hard it can be to get young children to sleep at night. She is the mother of two sets of identical twin girls.

But the host and producer of “Living Well with Leisa” found a creative way to get her girls to wind down at night. She calls it “Family Spa Night.”



A recent study showed that Leisa’s idea may be a good one. It found that a simple, four-step, nightly routine helps young children sleep better.

The first step was for mothers to give their child a bath. The second step was to give a massage to infants or apply lotion to toddlers. The third step was to engage their child in quiet activities. This might involve cuddling or singing a lullaby. Finally the mothers turned out the lights within 30 minutes of the end of the bath.

Another study confirmed that poor “sleep hygiene” has a negative effect on the sleep patterns of young children. The authors concluded that good sleep hygiene helps young children sleep better.

Basic tips that parents should put into practice include:

• Letting children fall asleep independently
• Putting children to bed before 9 p.m.
• Establishing a bedtime routine that includes reading
• Helping children avoid caffeine
• Keeping a TV out of the bedroom

Read more about sleep and children.

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Use Bedtime Routines and Relaxation Techniques to Sleep Better

A new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examines the strategies people use to reduce daytime sleepiness.

Taking a bath was the most common sleep management practice for both men and women; 59 percent of men and 64.4 percent of women used it. Keeping a regular sleep schedule was the second most popular tactic.

People also wound down for the night by listening to music, snacking and exercising.

The results show that taking a bath and going to bed at the same time every night were the best ways to decrease daytime sleepiness. Snacking at night made people feel sleepier the next day.

One of the study’s authors said that culture influences the way people manage their sleep.

The study, conducted in Japan, includes data from 24,686 adults who completed a national health survey.

Don’t worry if you have a few sleepless nights. It is common to suffer from occasional bouts of insomnia. Stress, irregular sleep patterns and pain can cause you to lose sleep for short periods of time. This is known as adjustment insomnia. Once the problem is resolved sleep usually returns to normal.

What are some healthy ways to get better sleep?

The AASM recommends:

• Go to bed at a regular time each night.


• Wake up at the same time each night, even on weekends.


• Avoid naps if you can during the day.


• Don’t drink caffeine in the afternoon.

Find more tips about good sleep hygiene at Sleep Education.com.

Contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center if you have an ongoing sleep problem.

Image by Laura Taylor

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