Flinders study finds sleep can put screen time side effects to bed

There’s a simple solution to screen time-triggered tantrums according to SA experts who’ve found parents shouldn’t be losing any sleep when it comes to preschooler meltdowns.

Researchers found screens were only linked to behavioural problems in preschoolers who were not getting enough sleep. Picture: Stock image

Too much screen time doesn’t have to equal more tantrums by kids according to new research into the links between the online exposure, sleep and badly-behaving preschoolers.

Led by Flinders University child psychologist and paediatric sleep expert Michal Kahn, the Adelaide-based researchers found some bad effects of too much screen could be neutralised simply by ensuring youngsters get plenty of sleep.

“We found something really interesting, and that is, screens were only linked to behavioural problems in preschoolers who were not getting enough sleep,” Dr Kahn said.

“So, parents can actually try to lessen the effects of screen time by making sure their child is getting enough sleep – it can play a protective role.

“Or, if they are noting getting enough sleep, this can facilitate the more adverse consequences of screens and that is really important for parents to know … it has been estimated that 15 to 30 pre cent of preschool children do not obtain enough sleep.”

The newly-published study, shared first with the Sunday Mail, involved monitoring the behaviours of 145 little people aged three to six 24-hours a day for a week.

“We know that prior to COVID-19, 96 per cent of preschool children were using a touchscreen at least daily and wanted to test the interacting effects of screen exposure and objectively measured sleep on behaviour problems in the preschool age,” Dr Kahn said.

“The first thing we did was show objective evidence of a link between more exposure to screens and less sleep time in preschool children.”

Parents of the youngsters were asked to record all problematic external behaviours – such as tantrums, acts of hostility, hyperactivity and oppositional behaviours – as well as signs of internal issues such as depression, anxiety and fear.

“Our research showed while sleep helped to moderate the bad external behaviours it didn’t have the same effect on internal behaviours,” she said.

Dr Kahn said this reinforced the importance of parents familiarising themselves with the type of content their young children were viewing, so they weren’t left scared or anxious by it.

“The combination of increased screen exposure and decreased sleep duration may be particularly adverse for child mental health,” she said.

Meanwhile, in separate research, also by the team at Flinders in conjunction with US computer-vision technology company Nanit, newborns and very young infants have been found to be more vulnerable to the effects of exposure to touchscreens than older babies or toddlers.

“We looked at exposure to screen time in infants as young as two weeks old, up to 18 months old and saw the effects were magnified the younger the baby was, especially if the touchscreen was placed right in front of the infant’s face,” Dr Kahn said.

“Three-month-old infants who were given five minutes of time with a touchscreen device during the day, averaged 13 minutes less daytime sleep.”

Screen time included “passive exposure” through parents, such as during breastfeeding or while on a parent’s lap.