New research suggests that smartphones could adversely affect your quality of sleep, Futurity reported.

Researchers at Brown, Monash and Rush Universities found that light from device screens in the hour before bed can significantly disrupt sleep time. The effect is more pronounced in younger tweens and teens, ages 9 to 15 years old.

"Small amounts of light at night, such as light from screens, can be enough to affect sleep patterns," Mary Carskadon, senior author of the study, said in a statement. "Students who have tablets or TVs or computers -- even an 'old-school' flashlight under the covers to read -- are pushing their circadian clocks to a later timing. This makes it harder to go to sleep and wake up at times early the next morning for school."

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from 38 children in early to middle puberty.

They found that the brighter the light in the experiments, the more melatonin was suppressed. Among 38 children in early to middle puberty an hour of 15 lux of light (think dim "mood" lighting) suppressed melatonin by 9.2 percent, 150 lux (normal room light) reduced it by 26 percent, and 500 lux (as bright as in a supermarket) reduced it by 36.9 percent. The 29 teens in the late or post-puberty stage were also affected, but not as much. Exposure to dim lighting did not suppress melatonin at all, normal room lighting reduced it 12.5 percent, and bright light reduced it by 23.9 percent.

Based on their findings, researchers suggest children and their parents limit use of screens at bedtime, even though it has become pervasive. A previous study found that 96 percent of teens use at least one form of technology in the hour before going to bed.

The findings are detailed in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.