Children who use screens before bedtime at higher risk of obesity, study finds

Code to protect children’s data and privacy online come into full effect

Children who use screens for more than half an hour before bedtime and go to bed later than 10pm are at greater risk of obesity, a study has revealed.

Researchers at the University of Barcelona surveyed 1,133 children aged between two and twelve on their sleep habits and use of screen devices, as well as data on their diet and body mass index.

More than a quarter (27.5 per cent) of preschool-age children and a third (35.2 per cent) of school-age children spend more than half an hour in front of a screen before going to bed, the study found.

Children who spent more time in front of screens before bedtime were at higher risk of developing obesity compared to those who went to bed early, researchers said.

The team also found that the combination of going to bed later than 10pm and using a screen before bedtime resulted in a shorter nighttime sleep duration and poorer sleep quality in both preschoolers and schoolchildren.

These behaviours were also associated with a delayed breakfast and dinner times, especially as children got older.

School-age children with these habits were also less likely to be physically active, the study found.

Late sleepers “end up sleeping less and accumulating sleep debt throughout the week, a situation that has been associated in previous studies with irritable mood, poor academic performance and daytime sleepiness”, the researchers said.

“We found that children tend to go to bed around ten o’clock at night. Considering that it is recommended that they sleep between ten and twelve hours, it is clear that many children do not get enough sleep,” they added.

The study comes amid growing calls for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to consider banning social media and smartphones for children and young teenagers.

A survey published last month by Parentkind found that 58 per cent of parents believe the Government should ban smartphones for under-16s.

The World Health Organisation recommends that infants aged less than two do not use screens at all, while those aged two should not use screens for more than an hour per day.

But fears have grown around children’s screen time increasing since the Covid pandemic, with a BBC survey last year finding that 79 per cent of parents were concerned about the amount of time their children were spending on smartphones, tablets and other devices.

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