I just read a report released by Commonsense Media and was flabbergasted by the stat about how many children have televisions in their rooms.
According to the report, 42% of children under 8 years old have a TV in their bedroom. 30% of 0- to 1-year-olds, 44% of 2- to 4-year-olds, and 47% of 5- to 8-year-olds.
According to the Better Sleep Council, the bedroom is for SLEEP only and should be free of electronics and distractions. Call me crazy, but what are young children doing with televisions in their room? And teenagers? Last I checked, telling them to do something (usually) results in the exact opposite affect.
The reason TVs should not be allowed in your children's bedroom is simple--they're more likely to have trouble sleeping than their counterparts who don't have a tv in their room.
In a study conducted by the Seattle Children's Institute and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, the 59 children who had a TV in their bedroom were more likely to report sleeping problems, including falling asleep, nightmares, and trouble waking up in the morning. Moreover, 8% showed tiredness during the day compared to 1% of the rest of the group.
The children, on average, watched over an hour of TV per day, and those with a TV in their bedroom watched an additional 40 minutes per day on average. We all know what lack of sleep does to our mental, emotional and physical well being, so based on these statistics, it's best to keep those TVs out of the bedroom and keep your children (and you!) healthy and happy.
Sweet dreams!
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