>A wake-up call for gadget lovers; Text, tweets robbing us of needed sleep, study finds
By Mary Jo Layton The Record (Hackensack N.J.)
HACKENSACK, N.J. — Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they’re not getting enough sleep and late-night computer use, texting and video games are a significant part of the problem, according to a national survey released Monday.
Virtually all of Americans surveyed in the Sleep in America poll reported “very active” use of technology at least a few nights a week within an hour of bed.
“It is clear that we have a lot more to learn about the appropriate use and design of this technology to complement good sleep habits,” said David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation, which conducted the survey.
More than half of kids ages 13 to 18 text an hour before bed most nights and this group reports being the sleepiest of all, the survey found.
On average they report seven hours and 26 minutes of sleep a night on weeknights, nearly two hours shy of the nine hours and 15 minutes recommended by sleep experts.
It’s a familiar story to Dr. Tracy Carbone, a sleep expert at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J., who treats a growing number of adolescents for sleep disorders which are affecting school performance, driving ability and moods and mental health.
