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Removing Screen Time for One Hour Before Bed Aids Toddlers' Sleep

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Oct 22, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Oct. 22, 2024 -- Parents can feasibly remove toddler screen time in the hour before bed and this removal is associated with improvements in toddler sleep, according to a study published online Oct. 21 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Hannah Pickard, Ph.D., from University of London, and colleagues tested the feasibility of a seven-week, parent-administered screen time intervention (PASTI) in toddlers (aged 16 to 30 months) who have screen time in the hour before bed and assessed the impact of PASTI on toddlers' sleep and attention. The analysis included 105 families randomly assigned to the PASTI of removing screen time in the hour before bed plus use of a bedtime box (BB) of reading and puzzles, a BB only, or no intervention.

The researchers found that 94 percent of families adhered to PASTI, and PASTI was associated with reductions in parent-reported screen time. There were also small-to-medium improvements seen in objectively measured sleep efficiency with PASTI, as well as in night awakenings, and reduced daytime sleep. There was no association between PASTI and objective measures of attention. Compared with BB only, PASTI was associated with a difference in parent-reported effortful control and inhibitory control due to an increase in BB-only scores.

"Our findings support current pediatric guidance to avoid screen time in the hour before toddler bedtime," the authors write.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted October 2024

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