Late-Night Texting Can Negatively Impact Schoolwork

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By Lauren Barack November 16, 2010

Pulling an all-nighter is fairly standard practice for many high school students, and few adults make it through their childhoods without staying up after hours to read a favorite book under the covers with a flashlight in hand.

But now researchers say technology is what's keeping teens up late at night, and the sleep deprivation that arises from it can lead to anxiety, depression, mood swings, and learning problems.

For teachers and media specialists who have little control over how students behave outside school, the findings could shed some light on why some students' grades suddenly dip or why kids are taking cat naps in the library.

A pilot study found that text messaging and the use of other electronic communication, specifically before bedtime, showed up later as insomnia, excessive movement in sleep, and leg pain during the night among 77.5 percent of children and young adults between the ages of 8 and 22 who were queried at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J.

"The effects of electronic media on sleep are gaining increasing attention," say the authors in the study, published in the October issue of Chest, the medical journal for the American College of Chest Physicians. "Less sleep and poor sleep quality are consequences of STRICT (sleep time related information and communication technology) use at bedtime."

Dr. Peter Polos, lead author on the study, presented his findings at the American College of Chest Physicians in Vancouver, British Columbia, earlier this month and noted that those students who use electronic media extensively in the evening (averaging 33.5 texts a night between 3.7 different people) could strongly affect their work the next morning in class.

Polos and his colleagues also noted gender differences in the type of electronic media students gravitated toward after hours, with boys preferring to be on the Internet or playing online games and girls choosing to text or use cell phones.

For parents who tend to say goodnight, and hope their children go to bed at an appropriate hour, Polos and his team believe a late night check before mom and dad head to bed may be more effective than they think.

"Such activity should be monitored," says the study. "Attempts at limiting use at bedtime appear to be reasonable."

This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe.

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