Excessive usage of smartphones can adversely affect your child's health

Now a days, majority of children are addicted to the usage of smart phones for playing games or watching videos even during bed time.

In such case, the children may face the risk of developing inadequate sleep which further leads to various health issues in the future.

As per the researchers of Cardiff University in Britain, sleep plays a vital role in children’s development. Children who are deprived of sleep have to face adverse physical and mental health consequences. These disorders include poor diet, sedative behavior, obesity, reduction in immunity, stunted growth and mental health issues.

Currently, 72% of children and 89% of adolescents use atleast one device like smartphone or tablet during their bedtime according to the research.

Ben Carter from Cardiff University said: “Sleep is an often undervalued but important part of children’s development, with a regular lack of sleep causing a variety of health problems. With the ever growing popularity of portable media devices, such as smartphones and tablets, the problem of poor sleep amongst children is set to get worse.

“Our findings suggest that an integrated approach involving parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals is necessary to improve sleep habits near bedtime.”

Smartphones and tablets have high impact on the sleep pattern by displacing, delaying or interrupting sleep time. They also psychologically stimulate the brain and affect the circadian rhythm, sleep physiology and alertness.

The study was based on systematic review of 20 existing observational studies that involved 125,198 children, which was reported in JAMA Pediatrics journal.