Study: More sleep, less screen time for smarter kids

Looking for a reason to limit your child’s screen time? A new study finds that capping TV, computer and mobile device use at two hours a day will improve brain power.

Children who spent the most time on electronic devices had a 5 percent lower cognitive function than other children 8 to 11, according to a study from the CHEO Research Institute in Ottawa, Canada.

The observational study of more than 4,500 children in the United States was published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. Children and parents completed questionnaires to estimate the child’s physical activity, sleep and screen time, and children completed a cognition test.

Better sleep and limited screen time were the strongest links to improved cognition, but researchers also found that more physical activity was important for overall health and cognition.

“For growing children, the whole day matters. A healthy 24 hours includes kids sweating, stepping, sleeping and limiting sitting or sedentary behavior,” said Dr. Jeremy Walsh of the CHEO Research Institute.

“In the age group the study looked at, the guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, two hours or less recreational screen time and nine to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep,” Walsh said.

The study found that children in the United States spend an average of 3.6 hours a day engaged in recreational screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests limiting screen time to one hour per day of high-quality programming for ages 2 to 5, while kids 6 and older should have “consistent limits” on time spent with screens.

To encourage children to take part in a variety of sedentary and physical activities, Walsh said parents need to get involved. During sedentary times, parents and children can play board or card games, color and draw and read together, he said.

“By spending time together in these activities, families can limit their screen time,” Walsh said.