Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Web, TV Cut Sleep Quality

Heavy users say they get fewer z's, even when they don't, survey finds

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 24, 2007 5:07 PM CDT

(Newser) – Watching TV or surfing the web before bed can reduce the quality of sleep, a Japanese study has found. Reuters reports that people who unglue themselves from the screen before hitting the sheets reported less sleep, even though they sleep as much as the less addicted.

Fifty-four percent of those who spent more than 3 hours using the Internet or watching TV reported insufficient sleep, compared with 29% of those who were preoccupied for less than 1.5 hours. The study's lead researcher claims the disparity suggests TV and the web drains “sleep demand and sleep quality.”

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

Of those studied, the more hours of pre-bedtime internet usage reported, the less satisfying the amount of sleep to follow. (Shutterstock.com)

"Longer media use before sleep can trigger (self-perceived) insufficient sleep," said the study's lead researcher Dr. Nakamori Suganuma, of Osaka University, Japan. (Index Open)

Insomnia and general sleepiness at the wrong hours could be caused by an overdose of stimulating media before bed. (Index Open)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

4 Weeks to Better Sleep (The Today Show) (sleepdoctorAZ (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

TV Zaps Americans' Sleep Time

Nearly half watch TV before bed

(NEWSER) - Feeling sleepy? Blame the glowing screen in your bedroom. Researchers studying sleep deprivation in the US say the boob tube is a likely cause, HealthDay News reports. Almost half of Americans say they watch TV right before bed, and that means natural sleep signals, like the dark sky and fatigue, are being ignored. "Many Americans are chronically under-sleeping due to lifestyle choices," said the co-author of a new study. More»

Kids Have Been Short on Sleep for 100 Years

At least if official recommendations are any guide

(NEWSER) - If doctors' recommendations are accurate, then kids have been sleep-deprived for more than a century. Researchers reviewed dozens of sets of sleep guidelines dating from 1897 to 2009 and compared them to data on how much sleep kids actually have gotten over the years. They found that kids have consistently slept about 37 minutes less than experts suggested, the Wall Street Journal reports. They also discovered that the recommended amount shrunk by about 0.71 minutes each year. More»

New Infant Guidelines: No Bumper Pads, No TV

Doctors' group also says breastfeeding cuts SIDS risk

(NEWSER) - The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines for infants to cut down on sleep-related deaths and reduce TV time. The new sleep guidelines now recommend against all types of bumper pads, noting that “there is a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment.” They also urge mothers to breastfeed babies and give them pacifiers to reduce the chances of sudden infant death syndrome, the Wall Street Journal reports. Parents are urged to let their babies sleep in the same room, but not the same bed, as mom and dad. More»

96.7% of Homes Have TVs, 1st Drop in 20 Years

Rocky economy, online TV to blame: Nielsen

(NEWSER) - The rocky economy and an upswing in Internet viewing contribute to a surprising new statistic: In America, 96.7% of households have a television set—down from 98.9% previously. It's the first such drop in two decades, the New York Times notes. The Nielsen Company, which collected the data, notes that some low-income households likely cannot afford new digital sets or antennas. In addition, some young people are opting not to purchase a TV when they move out on their own, instead watching shows and movies on the Internet. More»

Too Much Sleep Is Bad for You, Too

It can age your brain by up to seven years, researchers warn

(NEWSER) - Yet another reason to stress out about how much sleep you get: A new study shows that you can age your brain by up to seven years by getting too little sleep—or too much sleep. University of London scientists tested memory, reasoning, vocabulary, and other areas, and determined that between 7% and 8% of those who slept more than the recommended six to eight hours per night performed worse on every test except one. Meanwhile, a full 25% of women and 18% of men who slept less than the recommended amount also experienced a decrease in vocabulary and reasoning capacity. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Web, TV Cut Sleep Quality