EFFECTS OF OUTDOOR TIME VERSUS SCREEN TIME ON SLEEP HEALTH AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
Sleep affects many areas of human health including mental health, social life, longevity, and the immune system. However, we are experiencing a global crisis in sleep health as both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared poor sleep health as a public health epidemic. Adolescents and young adults are very vulnerable to sleep health problems. This study examines how outdoor time versus screen time affects sleep health among adolescents.The study applies mixed methods. In the first part of the study, participants (N=138) were given diary-based surveys. They replied to online questions for seven consecutive days each morning. In the second part of the study, the objective quality of sleep health was measured using biometric watches (n=13). The study participants scored lower in almost all sleep-related variables (duration, awakenings, timings, etc.) than the recommendations found in sleep health literature. Also, we found a significant difference between subjective and objective reports of sleep, particularly regarding the number of awakenings.