Disruption of adolescents’ circadian clock: The vicious circle of media use, exposure to light at night, sleep loss and risk behaviors

Adolescents experience increased risks to health and daytime functioning due to irregular and shortened sleep patterns.

• Excessive use of electronic media is negatively associated with sleep outcomes in adolescents.
• Many teens develop irregular sleep schedules, characterized by delayed sleep onset and early waking times.
• Exposure to blue light from electronic devices before bedtime can disrupt the biological clock.
• A significant number of adolescents shift to an evening chronotype, leading to misalignment between biological and social rhythms.
• This misalignment, combined with sleep loss, is linked to fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and poor academic performance.
• The phenomenon of social jet lag among adolescents poses public health concerns.

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