Digital Media Use During Children’s Sleeping and Eating Routines

As digital media is present in children’s daily lives, the question of the most and least beneficial moments to offer screens naturally arises among parents and healthcare providers. Researchers are trying to answer this question, and so far, there has been an outgrowing trend to recommend avoiding digital media use during sleeping and eating routines. At bedtime, arousal caused by media content and the device’s blue light can alter sleep time, resulting in fewer hours of quality rest. Media use or background TV during mealtime affects children’s eating habits, as they may not pay enough attention to what and how much they eat, which could favor unhealthy eating habits and lead to obesity. Children may also have more access to food and drink advertisements on digital media, which could impact their health and eating habits. In this chapter, we review the latest scientific evidence on the possible outcomes of media use during bedtime and mealtime for child well-being and development. We conclude with practical implications arising from these research results.