Toddlers who spend time playing on smartphones and tablets² seem to get slightly less sleep than those who do not, say researchers.

研究人员称，花时间玩智能手机和平板电脑的幼儿似乎比不玩这些设备的幼儿睡得要少一些。

A study by Birkbeck, University of London, suggests every hour spent using a touchscreen each day was linked to 15 minutes less sleep for toddlers.

伦敦大学伯贝克学院进行的一项研究显示，每天每使用触屏设备一小时，就会使幼儿少睡15分钟。

The study questioned 715 parents of children under three years old. It asked how often their child played with a smartphone or tablet¹ and about the child's sleep patterns.

这项研究对715位有3岁以下孩子的家长进行调查，询问他们孩子玩智能手机或平板电脑的频率及睡眠模式。

It showed that 75% of the toddlers used a touchscreen on a daily basis, with 51% of those between six and 11 months using one, and 92% of those between 25 and 36 months doing so as well.

结果显示，75%的幼儿每天都会玩触屏设备；6-11个月大的孩子中，有51%玩一种触屏设备。25-36个月大的孩子中，92%玩一种触屏设备。

Children who did play with touchscreens slept less at night and more in the day.

玩触屏设备的孩子晚上睡得较少，白天睡得较多。

Researchers suggest parents should put a limit on the total time spent on devices³, ensure children do physical things and avoid the screens before bedtime.

研究人员认为，家长应限制孩子玩触屏设备的时间总量、确保孩子进行运动，并避免他们在睡前玩触屏设备。

Dr Tim Smith, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website: "It isn't a massive⁴ amount when you're sleeping 10-12 hours a day in total, but every minute matters in young development because of the benefits of sleep."

其中一名研究人员、蒂姆·史密斯教授向BBC新闻网透露：“你在一天中总共睡10--12小时，这个量并不大。但是在幼儿发育期间，由于睡眠的益处，所以每一分钟都很重要。”