Excessive Mobile Phone Use Affects Sleep In Teens, Study Finds

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: Science Daily

Teenagers who excessively use their cell phone are more prone to disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress and fatigue, according to a research abstract that will be presented on June 9 at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, authored by Gaby Badre, MD, PhD, of Sahlgren's Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden, focused on 21 healthy subjects, between 14-20 years of age, with regular working/studying hours and without sleep problems. The subjects were broken up into two groups: a control group (three men, seven women) and the experimental group (three men, eight women). The control group made less than five calls and/or sent five text messages a day, while the experimental group made more than 15 calls and/or sent 15 text messages a day. The subjects were then asked questions regarding their lifestyle and sleep habits.

According to the results, when compared to subjects with restricted use of cell phones, young people with excessive use of cell phones (both talking and text messaging) have increased restlessness with more careless lifestyles, more consumption of stimulating beverages, difficulty in falling asleep and disrupted sleep, and more susceptibility to stress and fatigue. They behave more like larks than owls, suggesting a delayed biological clock.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609071402.htm

[realisticphish]

1. meh

sounds like a correlation rather than a cause to me, but I haven't read the actual study

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Yeah, um, absolutely. Smirk." - Cell Phone Corporations

[realisticphish]

9. MY GOD YOU'RE RIGHT

I SHOULD IGNORE ALL LOGIC AND BELIEVE THINGS WITHOUT ACTUAL EVIDENCE

I didn't say it wasn't true, I said that this study just shows correlation, not causation. Basic science.

[lurky]

4. Agreed. You could make a very plausible case

that their "type A" personalities led to increased phone use, not the other way around.

Plus, did you see the sample size? Is a 21-participant study considered meaningful?

This sounds like exactly the kind of junk study that is designed to get a lot of attention in the popular press, but which is really just a bunch of hot air...

[realisticphish]

10. no kidding

n=21 is pathetic. I mean, it's an interesting exploratory study, but it should have gotten little attention at this stage.

[mopinko]

11. troubled teens both make more phone calls, and sleep like shit.

care for a couple rounds of chicken/egg/chicken/egg?
and yeah, 21 people. why would you even bother studying a sample that sze?

[merwin]

12. "a connection between intensive use of cell phones and health compromising behaviour."

...

"It is adamant/necessary to increase the awareness among youngsters of the negative effects of excessive mobile phone use on their sleep-wake patterns, with serious health risks as well as attention and cognitive problems," said Dr. Badre.

Looks to me like he was looking for a specific answer and finding evidence to support it.

[Indenturedebtor]

7. Seriously this doesn't sound like it indicates anything

People with more active lifestyles and more complicated social lives tend to have trouble sleeping... blah blah blah

[LiberalFighter]

3. Life was so much simpler when people had to be home to receive a phone call.

How long did those calls last? Did they also include any calls they received?

Only 15 text messages a day?

[endarkenment]

5. Cell phones are a gateway drug to homosexual penguin marrying communist lifestyles!

I knew it.

[vinylsolution]

6. Cellphones also cause....

.... incessant, repeated use of the world 'like'....

This parent is like tearing his hair out like listening to his daughter like re-demolish the remains of the like English language like every night.

AAAAAARRGGH!

[Maat]

8. HeeHee. Sir Edwin Mallory ...

:rofl:

I have an eleven-year-old (almost 12). Is that what I'm in for?