Evening TV, Video Games May Cause Sleep Problems In Kids

Watching television or playing video games close to bedtime can act like a jolt of caffeine to young children, making them more likely to experience difficulty falling asleep, nightmares, and daytime fatigue, a new study in the journal Pediatrics suggests.

In the study, 28 percent of preschoolers who watched TV or played video games for at least 30 minutes after 7 p.m. had sleep problems most nights of the week, versus 19 percent of children whose TV and video-game use took place only before 7 p.m.

Children are supposed to be winding down at bedtime, and TV and video games may interfere with that process by overexciting kids and “amping up” their brains, says Michelle Garrison, PhD, the lead author of the study and a research scientist at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

Evening entertainment may also disrupt the nocturnal rise in melatonin, a hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle. TV and computer monitors “can keep melatonin levels from rising normally because of the brightness of the screens,” Garrison explains.

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