4500 students in grades five through eight exposes more troubling links between children’s social media use and sleep deprivation. Over 4,500 students in greater Toronto participated in exit slip surveys following the Braidable program, revealing a link between social media use and sleep deprivation. The majority of surveyed students, particularly in grades five to eight, acknowledged the need to adjust their screen time and sleep habits for better brain health. The majority of students in grades five to eight who completed the exit slip surveys acknowledged that they should be altering their screen time and/or sleep habits to improve their brain health. Grade eight responses suggest a growing awareness of the connection between more screen time and less sleep. Screen time use, disrupted sleep, and reduced physical activity seem to be very enmeshed for students, even by grade five. By grade eight, students indicate an intention to change behaviors on multiple fronts, underscoring the complex challenges facing these children. Awareness and education are critical elements in upstream approaches to promoting brain health. Sleep, physical exercise, social interaction, healthy eating, mental exercise, and stress reduction represent the Six Pillars of Brain Health. All six pillars are integral to mental wellness and emphasized in WBHI’s free Braidable education program in Ontario geared to young students about how to protect their brain health. Urgently develop and initiate public education campaigns promoting the best reasons and ways to reduce excess screen time and increase sleep time for children, starting in preschool Sufficient sleep—nine to 11 hours each night for 10- to 14-year-olds—helps body systems restore and recover, protects healthy brain development, and facilitates learning and memory consolidation. Chronic sleep loss or poor quality can have profound consequences on regulating emotions, decision-making, controlling behavior, and being less resilient to stress. Addressing sleep issues early can reduce the risk of future mental health struggles.
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Friday, June 27, 2025