Tackling the Paradox of Sleep and Technology Through Near Peer Relationships

A solid night of sleep is important to recharge our physical battery, to feel emotionally stable, and to be alert and attentive for daytime performance. Sleep plays an important role in neuroplasticity, neurodevelopment, and emotion regulation. Unfortunately, although sleep is an important contributor to a healthy life, it is not always prioritized, which results in many adolescents experiencing chronic sleep deficits that might impact their academic, physical, and emotional health. Furthermore, sleep deficits might impact aspects of adolescents’ functioning differential. One potential contributor to unravelling of sleep/wake and circadian patterns in early adolescence is technology. Access and use of portable screen-based media devices has been associated with inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness in school aged children between 12 and 17 years. There is growing evidence that adults and adolescents, who are using screen based devices during bedtime show reduced sleep quantity as well as quality. As such, learning to address the implications of technology on sleep in adolescent will be a major part to advancing the development of healthy sleep patterns and by consequence, emotional and physical health in the digital age. Siehe Beschreibung