The effect of presleep video-game playing on adolescent sleep.
OBJECTIVE
Video-game use before bedtime has been linked with poor sleep outcomes for adolescents; however, experimental evidence to support this link is sparse. The present study investigated the capacity of presleep video-game playing to extend sleep latency and reduce subjective feelings of sleepiness in adolescents. The arousing psychophysiologic mechanisms involved and the impact of presleep video-game playing on sleep architecture were also explored.


METHODS
Thirteen male adolescent "evening types" (mean age = 16.6 years, SD = 1.1) participated in a counterbalanced, within-subjects design with experimental (active video gaming) and control (passive DVD watching) conditions. The experiment was conducted in the Flinders University Sleep Research Laboratory.


RESULTS
Relative to the control condition, presleep video-game playing increased sleep-onset latency (Z= 2.45, p= .01) and reduced subjective sleepiness (Z = 2.36, p = .02)-but only slightly. Video gaming was related to changes in cognitive alertness (as measured by a power: p < 0.01) but not physiologic arousal (as measured by heart rate: p > 0.05). Contrary to previous findings, sleep architecture was unaffected (both rapid eye movement and slow wave sleep: p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest the direct effect of presleep video-game playing on adolescent sleep may be more modest than previously thought, suggesting that surveys linking stimulating presleep activities to poor sleep need substantiating with empirical evidence.
Weaver
Edward
E
School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Gradisar
Michael
M
Dohnt
Hayley
H
Lovato
Nicole
N
Douglas
Paul
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003071:Cognition; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D004585:Electrooculography; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012894:Sleep Stages; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014851:Wakefulness
J Paediatr Child Health. 2006 Jul-Aug;42(7-8):428-33
16898880
Pediatrics. 2007 Nov;120(5):978-85
17974734
Learn Mem. 2004 Nov-Dec;11(6):679-85
15576885
Pediatrics. 2005 Jun;115(6):1774-86
15930245
Sleep. 2005 Nov;28(11):1446-54
16335485
Hum Brain Mapp. 2006 Dec;27(12):948-56
16628606
J Sleep Res. 2004 Dec;13(4):295-304
15560764
Behav Med. 2003 Summer;29(2):60-7
15147104
J Anesth. 2003;17(4):259-66
14625714
Acta Paediatr. 2009 Jan;98(1):166-72
19006532
Int J Chronobiol. 1976;4(2):97-110
1027738
Sleep. 1991 Dec;14(6):540-5
1798888
J Appl Physiol (1985). 1997 Jul;83(1):134-9
9216955
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1997 Jan;44(1):60-9
9214784
Sleep. 2006 Sep;29(9):1155-73
17040003
Annu Rev Med. 1999;50:387-400
10073285
J Physiol. 2000 Aug 1;526 Pt 3:695-702
10922269
J Sleep Res. 2005 Sep;14(3):267-73
16120101
Sleep. 2003 Mar 15;26(2):213-6
12683482
Sleep. 1993 Apr;16(3):258-62
8506460
J Pediatr. 1997 Jun;130(6):1010-1
9202632
Blood Press Monit. 2002 Dec;7(6):293-300
12488648
Addict Behav. 1995 Jul-Aug;20(4):543-8
7484336
Biol Psychiatry. 1971;3(1):33-45
4329270
Sleep Med Rev. 2001 Dec;5(6):491-506
12531156
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Apr;290(4):R1115-21
16306160