Dr. Michelle Garrison, lead author and a scientist at Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute has found that many families mistakenly believe that watching TV will help their kids sleep, however, a newly released government funded study builds on previous research linking media use with kids’ sleep problems. According to Dr. Marc Weissbluth, a sleep disorders specialist at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital, lack of sleep can cause behavior difficulties, memory problems and academic struggles. That’s the message in a new study that found sleep problems are more common in 3- to 5-year-olds who watch television after 7 p.m. Watching shows with violence – including kids’ cartoons – also was tied to sleeping difficulties.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children up to age 2, and no more than two hours daily for older children. It also urges pediatricians to ask parents at every checkup how much their children watch television, including whether kids have TVs in their bedrooms, which the academy discourages.

Read more here: AAP.org