Computers lead to poor marks

London DAILY MAIL Televisions and computers should be banned from children's bedrooms because they disturb sleep, scientists say. This can lead to memory problems and poor marks in school, the Finnish researchers said. They asked 353 children aged ten and 11 about their TV and computer use and their sleeping habits, and interviewed them again 18 months later. The more a child played on a computer or watched TV, the later they went to bed. They also slept less on school nights, the journal BMC Public Health reports. The University of Helsinki researchers explained that children who watch a lot of TV may exercise less and so be less tired at bedtime. Hormonal changes brought on by the light of the screens could also make it more difficult to drop off. Researcher Teija Nuutinen, of the University of Helsinki, said electronic devices should be kept out of children's bedrooms and added: “Children need extra sleep as they go through puberty but our study finds that TV and computer use affect the sleep of children. “This is especially true during the week and may be impacting their school work as well as their development.”