Wed, Jun 10, 2009 | 18:30 BST
Study shows gamers get less sleep than non-gamers

The most obvious news of the day comes from a study conducted at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, which shows that gamers get less sleep than non-gamers or even those who play casually.
According to the study, people who are more addicted to gaming sleep about 1.6 hours less during the week. They also spend less time in bed, suffer from shorter REM latency and tend to have longer sleep latency.
“Our statistics revealed that those who admitted addiction scored higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (sleepiness),” principal investigator Amanda Woolems told Science Daily. “It surprised us, however, that of the people who admitted being addicted to gaming, only about a third of them recognized an interference with their sleep.”
The findings were presented at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (SLEEP 2009) this past Monday.
Via D’toid.


19 comments
#1
Gekidami
10/06/09, 6:13 pm
Since when has not being lazy been a bad thing? Sleeps a waste of time! I’m waiting for science to cure us of it some day.
#2
Psychotext
10/06/09, 6:15 pm
Probably still lazy… ‘cos they’re tired all the time.
#3
Dr.Ghettoblaster
10/06/09, 6:16 pm
…yawn…
#4
Hunam
10/06/09, 6:19 pm
Sleep lag?
#5
Gekidami
10/06/09, 6:20 pm
Its when you’re to slow to win QTE’s due to tiredness.
#6
Aimless
10/06/09, 6:28 pm
Gamers get less sleep than those who don’t… sleep?
It’s not so much gaming as computers in general that keep me up. Who wants to go to bed when they could be being overly critical of blog headlines instead?
#7
Stephany Nunneley
10/06/09, 6:33 pm
Exactly.
#8
KillerDD
10/06/09, 6:43 pm
Now that they mention it. I do feel a little tired. But I haven’t played a game in days!
How ’bout: Students get less sleep than those who don’t go to school.
#9
No_PUDding
10/06/09, 6:44 pm
I defintely think it’s true if I am honest
#10
No_PUDding
10/06/09, 6:47 pm
I know ti sounds funny but I just can’t stand the pain! Mmmmm,
Girl I’m leaving here tomorrow
hheeee
OOOOOOooohh
Thats why I’m eeeassssyy aaaah aaaaah aaaaah aaaaah
I’m easy like Sunday Morning.
Jesus…. I wish it were the weekend.
#11
freedoms_stain
10/06/09, 7:03 pm
It’s called “One More Go” syndrome and its been around since Pong.
I bet they got a ridiculously massive grant that could’ve been spent on something of genuine scientific merit to produce this blindingly tedious crap.
#12
dzippy
10/06/09, 7:45 pm
I agree with freedoms. I have no ideally really how research works, or who funds research, or how lots of students conduct research with zero funding, and research may seem obvious but when actually reading the research rather than the press release useful information for scientists and clinicians becomes apparent, but I agree, omg, how stupid is this research? Fail to them. Thanks for the insights freedoms.
#13
hitnrun
10/06/09, 7:52 pm
Clearly we need a scientific refocus onto research on topics whose press releases don’t make hip blog commenters uncomfortable.
#14
warlock7
10/06/09, 7:57 pm
So, is it that gamers get less sleep or is it that people that get less sleep tend to gravitate towards games to fill the extra time that they can’t sleep?
#15
anasui
10/06/09, 7:58 pm
not true. I have the biggest naps when I try to play Far Cry 2
#16
Gekidami
10/06/09, 7:59 pm
lol Crackdown had the same effect on me :p
#17
dzippy
10/06/09, 8:37 pm
Excellent point warlock! The research is correlational, meaning a relationship exists, but we do not know the direction or even if the two variables are causally related. Very insightful, I hope you consider becoming a research scientist (if you are not one already).
#18
Gekidami
10/06/09, 8:46 pm
Isnt anyone else rattled by the fact video games and ‘addiction’ are in the same sentence?
I really hate how anything you do abit to much these days is considered an ‘addiction’, dosnt the actual definition of addiction actually mean anything any more?
#19
theevilaires
11/06/09, 1:22 am
tell me about it, i stayed up at 2 in the morning trying to beat that shitty game matt hazard for the trophies. NEVER BUY MATT HAZARD!!!!!!!!!!!