WASHINGTON D.C: Having access to the broadband internet can cause sleep deprivation, sates a recent study conducted by Bocconi University. Access to high-speed internet reduces sleep duration.
"Individuals with DSL access tend to sleep 25 minutes less than their counterparts without DSL Internet. They are significantly less likely to sleep between 7 and 9 hours, the amount recommended by the scientific community, and are less likely to be satisfied with their sleep," Francesco Billari, principal investigator of the study, said.
"Digital temptations may lead to a delay in bedtime, which ultimately decreases sleep duration for individuals who are not able to compensate for later bedtime by waking up later in the morning," Billari said.
The temptations individuals are prone to vary according to age, the scholars found.
Among teenagers and young adults (aged 13-30), there is a significant association between insufficient sleep and time spent on computer games or watching TV or videos in the evening, while for older adults (31-59) the correlation is with the use of PCs and smartphones.
The findings appeared in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.
According to study report, about 200,000 working days are lost in Germany every year due to insufficient sleep, with an economic loss of $60 billion. Francesco Billari and Luca Stella (Bocconi University), with Osea Giuntella (University of Pittsburgh), in a study, find that access to broadband internet is one of the causes of such sleep deprivation.
Exploiting the fact that the deployment of broadband in Germany over the years was dependent on technical and historical reasons, they link data on broadband to surveys where individuals report their sleep duration.
The researchers conclude that access to high-speed internet reduces sleep duration and sleep satisfaction in individuals that face time constraints in the morning for work or family reasons.
( With inputs from agencies)