Study shows teens who stay up all night texting are less likely to excel at school

Many teenagers are so attached to their phones – they don’t go to bed without it. And so, they frequently stay up late into the night, texting at all hours. Thus, many of them end up yawning and struggling at school the next day – absolutely exhausted from their nightlong chatting. As a result, teenagers who text late into the night have poorer academic performance and are sleepier at school, a new study revealed. Dr Xue Ming, of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, said: ‘We need to be aware that teenagers are using electronic devices excessively and have a unique physiology.
‘They tend to go to sleep late and get up late.
‘When we go against that natural rhythm, students become less efficient.’
Media use among children of all ages has increased ‘exponentially', according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Furthermore, previous studies have found that children ages eight to 18 use electronic devices nearly seven and a half hours each day. The current study is one of the few to focus specifically on instant messaging. Dr Ming said: ‘During the last few years I have noticed an increased use of smartphones by my patients with sleep problems.
‘I wanted to isolate how messaging alone – especially after the lights are out – contributes to sleep-related problems and academic performance.’
For the study, surveys were distributed to three New Jersey high schools.
The schools included a suburban and an urban public school, as well as a private school. A team of researchers evaluated the 1,537 responses – contrasting grades, sexes, messaging duration and if the texting occurred before or after lights out. Students who turned off their devices or who messaged for less than 30 minutes after their lights were turned out ‘performed significantly better in school,’ the study found. And, students who texted longer in the dark were found to sleep fewer hours and were more exhausted during the day than those who stopped messaging when they went to bed. Additionally, texting before lights out did not have an effect on academic performance. By and large, females reported more messaging and sleepiness – but they had better academic performance than males.
The ‘blue light’ that emits from smartphones and tables are intensified when viewed in a dark room, according to the study. That light can have a strong impact on daytime sleepiness symptoms – as it delays melatonin release, which makes it more difficult to sleep. That effect was also observed through closed eyelids, according to the study. Dr Ming said: ‘When we turn the lights off, it should be to make a gradual transition from wakefulness to sleep.
‘If a person keeps getting text messages with alerts and light emission, that also can disrupt his circadian rhythm.
‘Rapid Eye Movement sleep is the period during sleep most important to learning, memory consolidation and social adjustment in adolescents.
‘When falling asleep is delayed but rising time is not, REM sleep will be cut short, which can affect learning and memory.’
However, Dr Ming noted that early-evening media can be used to facilitate school projects, provide resources for tutoring, increase school readiness and potentially offer emotional support system. The study recommends educators recognize the sleep needs of teenagers – and incorporate sleep education into their curriculum.
Dr Ming said: ‘Sleep is not a luxury; it’s a biological necessity.
The study was published Journal of Child Neurology.

Source: DailyMail