Touch Screen Device Usage and its Effect on Sleep among Young Children: Do Parents Delude Younger Generation Deliberately? Time to Ruminate and Impede this Technological Harm

CONTEXT: The American Academy of Pediatrics had recommended that children younger than 2 years should avoid digital media. However, in the Indian context, it was less explored. AIMS: The study aimed to determine the relationship between touch screen device (TSD) usage and sleep of infants, toddlers. METHODOLOGY: Using a cross-sectional design, 76 parents of infants and toddlers attending well-baby clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India were approached, and 57 parents who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were selected using a nonprobability convenient sampling technique. Data were collected using a pretested validated tool including TSD usage pattern, the brief infant sleep questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean age of TSD usage was 15.6 ± 5.8 months with a mean duration of 65 ± 9.6 min/day. Mothers (51%) reported circumstances to offer TSD was feeding the child. There was a significant negative relationship between night sleep and TSD usage among children (r = −0.35, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TSD usage time significantly affects the nighttime duration of sleep of infants and toddlers. Parents to be educated on proper usage and ill effects of TSD to prevent sleep issues.