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Late-night texting may cause major health issues for teens

By Staff Writer

Recent research shows that teens who text or surf the Internet past bedtime can suffer from sleep deprivation-related issues during the day.

Dr Peter Polos of JFK Medical Center in New Jersey surveyed 40 kids and teens, news channel WHEC reports. The research revealed that late-night texting has the potential to translate into big problems during the day. More than three-quarters of participants said they had trouble getting to sleep at night and many said they were awakened by texts in the middle of the night.

In addition to general fatigue, kids who texted or surfed the internet late into the night were more likely to say they suffered from anxiety, depression, ADHD and learning difficulties. None of the participants surveyed was found to have "healthy" sleep habits.

Dr Polos said that the impact of this over time is cumulative sleep debt, which is very difficult to pay back.

Experts recommend taking computers out of kids' bedrooms so they can concentrate on getting a good night's sleep.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 8 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 are severely impaired by one type of anxiety disorder. 

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