Texting at night affects the academic performance of teenagers as well as their sleep patterns, according to US researchers.
Media use is on the rise among children of all ages with studies revealing children ages 8 to 18 use electronic devices approximately seven-and-a-half hours every day.
The study in the Journal of Child Neurology suggests constant texting - especially when the lights are out - may be to blame for teenagers suffering from falling grades.
Research author Xue Ming of Rutgers University in New Jersey said late-night texting contributes to sleep-related problems and affects academic performance.
By ignoring the body's normal rhythms, students become less efficient, she said.
