EXCESSIVE SCREEN TIME IN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ITS IMPACTS ON SLEEP, LANGUAGE, AND NEUROPSYCHOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Early childhood is a critical period characterized by intense brain maturation, language acquisition, consolidation of sleep patterns, and progressive development of motor, cognitive, and socioemotional skills. At the same time, the use of televisions, smartphones, tablets, and other digital devices has become increasingly common in children's daily lives, raising concerns about the potential effects of excessive exposure. This study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence regarding the association between excessive screen exposure during early childhood and changes in sleep, language, and neuropsychomotor development. An integrative literature review was conducted, prioritizing scientific studies published between 2020 and 2026 and identified through national and international bibliographic databases. Studies involving children aged zero to six years, assessing screen exposure and at least one outcome related to sleep, language, cognition, executive functions, or motor development, were considered eligible. The available evidence indicates an association between greater screen exposure and shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality, as well as possible disadvantages in language skills, attention, executive functions, and motor development. However, these effects do not appear to depend exclusively on exposure duration and may be influenced by content, context, timing of use, caregiver involvement, and displacement of developmentally important activities. Therefore, excessive and predominantly passive screen exposure should be regarded as a potentially modifiable factor in early childhood care. Strategies involving parental mediation, reduction of inappropriate screen use, and prioritization of sleep, active play, reading, and face-to-face interaction are recommended.