Technological gadgets like mobile phones and computers are not to blame for sleep decline, according to a study published in The Medical Journal of Australia.

Using data from cross-sectional time-use surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the research team from the University of Sydney where able to compare the average amount of time Australian adults slept in 1992, 1997 and 2006.

Researcher also asked the participants (Australian adults aged fifteen years old and above) to write in time-use diaries for two days.

Based on the gathered information, the research team found that increases in ownership of mobile phones and computers and more widespread Internet access had no effect on an average sleep duration.

"Recent technological developments have been blamed for the purported decline in sleep. However, over the period we examined, ownership of computers has doubled, mobile phone ownership has tripled, and household access to the internet has increased from essentially nil to 60%, but we found no corresponding loss of sleep," wrote the researchers in their study.

The research team composed of Yu Sun Bin, Nathaniel S. Marshall and Nicholas S. Glozier concluded that the amount of time an Australian adult slept had not declined and hot been affected by changes in technology or even society.

"If there is an impact of technology use on sleep, it is not evident at a population level or it may affect another aspect of sleep (eg, quality or timing of sleep)," they added.

Those who did experience a decline in sleep duration were people aged sixty-years and above, male caregivers and those without a source of income, which was attributed to a link between sleep duration and societal changes at work and at home.

Studies conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom garnered similar results, showing that the amount of sleep has also not declined in other countries.

However, the researchers do state that "short sleep duration (≤ 6 hours nightly) is associated with risk of premature mortality, cardiovascular events, obesity, accident and injury, and mental health problems" and "declining sleep duration could therefore pose a threat to public health."