Adolescent sleep patterns and night-time technology use: results of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Big Sleep Survey.
BACKGROUND
Electronic devices in the bedroom are broadly linked with poor sleep in adolescents. This study investigated whether there is a dose-response relationship between use of electronic devices (computers, cellphones, televisions and radios) in bed prior to sleep and adolescent sleep patterns.


METHODS
Adolescents aged 11-17 yrs (n = 1,184; 67.6% female) completed an Australia-wide internet survey that examined sleep patterns, sleepiness, sleep disorders, the presence of electronic devices in the bedroom and frequency of use in bed at night.


RESULTS
Over 70% of adolescents reported 2 or more electronic devices in their bedroom at night. Use of devices in bed a few nights per week or more was 46.8% cellphone, 38.5% computer, 23.2% TV, and 15.8% radio. Device use had dose-dependent associations with later sleep onset on weekdays (highest-dose computer adjOR  = 3.75: 99% CI  = 2.17-6.46; cellphone 2.29: 1.22-4.30) and weekends (computer 3.68: 2.14-6.32; cellphone 3.24: 1.70-6.19; TV 2.32: 1.30-4.14), and later waking on weekdays (computer 2.08: 1.25-3.44; TV 2.31: 1.33-4.02) and weekends (computer 1.99: 1.21-3.26; cellphone 2.33: 1.33-4.08; TV 2.04: 1.18-3.55). Only 'almost every night' computer use (: 2.43: 1.45-4.08) was associated with short weekday sleep duration, and only 'almost every night' cellphone use (2.23: 1.26-3.94) was associated with wake lag (waking later on weekends).


CONCLUSIONS
Use of computers, cell-phones and televisions at higher doses was associated with delayed sleep/wake schedules and wake lag, potentially impairing health and educational outcomes.
NHMRC Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Amanda L
AL
Gamble
NHMRC Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sleep and Circadian Research Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Angela L
AL
D'Rozario
NHMRC Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sleep and Circadian Research Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Delwyn J
DJ
Bartlett
NHMRC Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Shaun
S
Williams
NHMRC Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Yu Sun
YS
Bin
NHMRC Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sleep and Circadian Research Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Sleep and Respiratory Failure, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Ronald R
RR
Grunstein
NHMRC Centre for Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep (CIRUS), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sleep and Circadian Research Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Nursing School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Nathaniel S
NS
Marshall
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001315:Australia; D040421:Cell Phone; D002648:Child; D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D011845:Radio; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013672:Technology; D013690:Television