281. Social media may cause kids to lose one night of sleep each week
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
New research suggests that children are losing one night’s worth of sleep each week by using social media. In a study presented recently at the British Science Festival, researchers surveyed 60 10-year-old children about their sleep and social media use. The children averaged 8.7 hours of sleep each night, less than the recommended 9 to 11 hours. That nightly sleep deficit equated to losing a full night’s sleep each week. Close to 70 percent of the children used social media for more than four hours each day. And 1 in 8 of the children woke up in the middle of the night to check notifications. The researchers believe that the fear of missing out, and not knowing what their friends were doing, is directly causing many children to lose sleep.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
