Dr. Gaby Badre, of Sahlgren’s Academy in Gothenberg, Sweden presented to the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) that there is a relationship between excessive cell phone use and sleeping problems, such as disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress and fatigue, among youth 14 to 20 years of age.

The study consisted of two groups; those who made less than 5 calls and/or text messages per day (control group) and those who made more than 15 calls and/or text messages per day (experimental group).

The results showed that youth in the experimental group had “increased restlessness with more careless lifestyles, more consumption of stimulating beverages, difficulty in falling asleep and disrupted sleep, more susceptibility to stress and fatigue”. Furthermore, there seems to be a connection between excessive cell phone use and a tendency toward unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking among youth.

The study suggests that youth are delaying their biological clocks in order to remain in constant connection with the world. The impact on mental health and cognition could be detrimental if youth continue to disrupt their sleep patterns at a period in life where sleep is so critical. It makes me wonder if this trend will hinder the potential of today’s youth.