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Mobile screen exposure tied to poor sleep

A newly published government report suggests that the use of mobile phones, especially at night time, is negatively affecting sleep and mental well-being of young Scottish individuals.

The report commissioned by the Scottish Government and prepared by Glasgow University summarises the findings from a systematic review of evidence regarding the influence of adolescent mobile device use on sleep.

The findings showed that mobile phone use, particularly social media use, has a negative influence on sleep quality. Mobile phone use at night and problematic social media use are strongly associated with depressed mood through experiences of poor-quality sleep. Experiencing online bullying is associated with shorter sleep as affected individuals are likely to be obsessed with distressing thoughts and emotions.

Karen Jenkinson, Interim Chief Executive of the charity Sleep Scotland, said: "Poor sleep is a huge problem in our society, and excessive screen time is a contributing factor, leading to increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression. It’s time to wake up to the importance of sleep for our health and wellbeing."


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