Lots of young people take their smartphone to bed with them, but they sleep badly because of it. | Image: shutterstock/mooremedia

Many parents fear that smartphones are damaging the health of their children. A research team from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) has now confirmed their fears. Smartphones indeed impair the sleep of young people. For their survey, they asked 843 Swiss schoolchildren aged between 13 to 15 about their smartphone use and the quality of their sleep – and did so twice, one year apart.

The biggest impact was among young people who are woken up at least once a month by a phone call or a text message. This was the case among 10 to 20 percent of the participants. During the year under observation, they were five times more likely to sleep unsoundly, and three times as likely to have problems falling asleep. “It might sound surprising, but the effect is already perceptible when young people are woken up just once a month”, says Martin Röösli, the head of the study. “But it’s possible that just the expectation of getting a text or a call could have a negative influence on how they sleep”.

Young people who spend an above-average amount of time in front of a screen each day – whether it’s a smartphone, a computer or a TV – also have slightly more difficulty falling asleep. The research team does admit that some of the sleep disturbances they have observed could also be linked to the onset of puberty. “Nevertheless, it’s certainly a good idea to leave your smartphone outside your bedroom at night”, says Röösli.