Television Exposure, Sleep Time, and Neuropsychological Function Among Preschoolers
We explored whether sleep time mediates the relation between preschoolers' television exposure and two indicators of neuropsychological function: executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM). With a sample of 107 preschoolers and their parents, we found that heavier background television exposure and nighttime television viewing were related to fewer hours of sleep, which, in turn, was related to weaker ToM. However, sleep time did not mediate the relation between intentional television viewing and EF. In this article, we discuss the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which television exposure can affect children's neuropsychological function and offer several alternative explanations.