Restless Phone Syndrome

If your kids seem restless or cranky – it could be their cell phone...

When it’s time for bed – you might want to confiscate your kid’s cell phone – or at least the battery. Using electronic gadgets near bedtime could trigger mood and cognitive problems – especially for teens. All that rapid fire thumb and finger action - and the thinking involved with phones, computers and video games - stimulates the brain and vision which can really interfere with quality sleep.

Kids in the study who admitted being connected right before bed experienced more leg cramps and restless sleep during the night – and were more prone to depression, ADHD, anxiety and learning problems during the day. Some kids even reported waking up in the middle of the night to notifications if there was a computer or phone nearby.

Source: Peter G. Polos, MD, PhD. of JFK Medical Centre in Edison, N. J.