Northland the couch potato capital

Northlanders are New Zealand's worst couch potatoes - with new survey findings showing square-eyed locals spend more time watching television than anywhere else in the country.

Sport Northland says increased TV hours are contributing to rising numbers of unhealthy kids disinterested in physical activity.

The Freeview survey, which polled 4300 Kiwis on their TV watching habits, revealed 60 per cent of Northland respondents spent more than 10 hours watching TV each week.

It follows new research which found high numbers of Kiwi kids missed out on sleep and underperformed at school - with principals warning that technology use could be to blame.

Sport Northland youth sport adviser Petrina Hunter said outdoor activity was essential to a child's development, with being outside and playing games helping children learn basic skills.

For example, "if you know that you can catch you might feel more confident in playing netball".

But too much TV could stop children from doing this, she said.

"And we all know active people have greater health outcomes."

Around 44 per cent of Northlanders enjoyed watching TV shows in the bedroom and a similar amount said they liked to surf the net while viewing television.

Nationally, more than half of those surveyed spent more than 10 hours each week watching television.

Couch potatoes seemed more prevalent outside the main centres - with large numbers of Hawke's Bay (59 per cent), Central North Island (58 per cent) and Southland (58 per cent) respondents admitting to watching more than 10 hours a week.

This dropped to less than 50 per cent for Auckland.

Freeview general manager Sam Irvine said while city dwellers reported watching less TV, they were more likely to be "double screening" or browsing the internet when in front of the box. Bed-time viewing was less popular, with about 43 per cent saying they watched TV in bed.

International research from Boston College, which tested 900,000 children in 50 countries, found 69 per cent of Kiwi 9- and 10-year-olds, and 62 per cent of 13- and 14-year-olds were identified by teachers as being adversely affected by insufficient sleep.

Principals' Federation president Philip Harding said increased technology use in the home could be a factor.

"Light [from electronic screens] suppresses the development of melatonin, which helps you go to sleep. Today kids and adults sit and watch television on a big flat screen and they've got computers," he said.