New tech robbing children of time in dreamland

Children who have access to tablets or smartphones in their bedrooms get less sleep than youngsters who do not have the devices with them at night, a US study has found.

The findings, announced in Monday's edition of the journal Pediatrics, show that having a small screen within reach was slightly worse than a television set when it came to sleep deprivation in a group of 2,000middle school pupils.

Overall, those with access to smartphones and tablets got nearly 21 fewer minutes of sleep per night than children whose rooms were free of such technology, and they were also more likely to say they felt sleep-deprived.