Study: the more screen time teens have, the worse their sleep is

A new study published in the journal Brain & Behaviour has found a link between screen time and sleep quality in teenagers - and their attitudes towards healthy lifestyles.

The paper analysed the responses of 700 adolescents studying in two high schools in Turkey's Black Sea region. According to the questionnaires, participants who spent more time in front of screens reported lower sleep quality on average.

In addition, adolescents with higher screen time had lower beliefs supporting the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The researchers also described a possible "mediator" mechanism: screen activity may act as an intermediary factor between sleep and healthy lifestyle attitudes - that is, poor sleep may lead to an increase in screen time, which in turn may negatively affect healthy behavioural attitudes.

The authors recommend steps to reduce screen exposure, increase social interactions and develop alternative activities for teens. They suggest that such steps can help to simultaneously improve sleep patterns and support healthier lifestyles.