Hey everyone! Ever felt like it’s impossible to put your phone down or turn off the TV when it’s time for bed? You’re not alone! Most of us love our screens—from streaming videos to playing games or scrolling through social media. But what if all that bedtime tech is actually messing with your sleep?
New research from experts who study the brain, a big group of sleep experts, and even a new law in California confirms what you might already guess: using screens around bedtime is often bad news for your sleep health.
😴 Why Sleep Is Your Superpower
Before we dive into the tech, let’s remember why sleep is so crucial. When you’re an adolescent (that’s you, pre-teens and teens!), good quality sleep is vital. It helps your brain:
- Learn and remember things (hello, better grades!).
- Handle emotions (goodbye, grumpy moods!).
- Stay healthy (hello, less sickness and more energy!).
But a study called the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study found that about 28% of early adolescents were having overall sleep disturbances. If you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, you’re not getting all those awesome benefits!
📱 Your Bedtime Habits Are Key
The ABCD Study looked closely at the habits of 10- to 14-year-olds and found some clear connections between what they did with screens and how well they slept.
Devices in the Bedroom
The biggest red flag? Just having an electronic device with internet access or a TV in your bedroom.
- Kids who had a device or TV in their room had a higher risk of having trouble falling or staying asleep. Why? Because the temptation is right there to use it!
Activities That Keep You Awake
Almost all common screen activities before bed were linked to sleep problems. If you’re doing these things, you’re more likely to have trouble sleeping:
- Streaming movies or videos.
- Playing video games.
- Talking or texting on the phone.
- Using social media or chat rooms.
These activities are often exciting or engaging, which increases your brain’s arousal—the exact opposite of the calm you need for sleep.
The Ringing Phone Problem
If you leave your cell phone ringer activated overnight, you’re also more likely to have sleep problems compared to someone who turns their phone off. Why?
- A simple notification, sound, or light can wake you up or prevent you from falling into a deep sleep. Your brain can stay “hypervigilant” (on high alert) for those pings!
💡 Why Screens Steal Your Sleep
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) brought together a panel of experts, and they agreed on two major things about kids and teens:
- In general, screen use impairs sleep health.
- The content of your pre-sleep screen use impairs your sleep health.
Here are the three main reasons why your tech is a sleep thief:
- It Eats Up Sleep Time (Time Displacement): The longer you’re on a screen, the later you go to bed, and the less total sleep you get.
- Your Brain Gets Too Excited (Cognitive Arousal): Intense content gets your mind racing. When your brain is excited, anxious, or focused, it’s not ready to shut down for sleep.
- The Light is a Problem (Melatonin Suppression): Many electronic devices give off blue light. This light signals to your brain that it’s daytime, which stops your body from releasing melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.
⏰ The Other Half of the Sleep Puzzle: School Start Times
While your bedtime habits are something you can control, there’s a big, natural reason adolescents need more time to sleep in: biology.
Experts have known for decades that the adolescent body clock naturally shifts later. This means you don’t feel sleepy until later at night and need to wake up later in the morning to get enough rest. But what do most schools do? They start early!
Early school start times were identified as the leading factor that gets in the way of adolescent sleep. Fortunately, scientists and advocates have been working on this problem, too!
A National Push for Later Start Times
Inspired by years of research, the state of California passed a landmark law requiring:
- Middle schools to start no earlier than 8:00 AM.
- High schools to start no earlier than 8:30 AM.
This move is considered a huge win for public health. Why? Studies show that delaying the school bell leads to:
- Increased sleep for students (because they wake up later).
- Numerous health and academic benefits.
It’s clear: both your individual screen habits and school start times play major roles in whether you get the sleep you need to be at your best.
✅ Simple Tips to Take Back Your Sleep
You have the power to change your screen habits right now!
| Strategy | How to Do It |
| Go Dark | Limit or completely stop using screens for at least one hour before you plan to fall asleep. |
| Banish the Tech | Charge your phone and other devices outside your bedroom. Your bedroom should be a dedicated sleep zone. |
| Silence the Pings | If you must keep your phone nearby, turn the ringer, notifications, and vibrate functions OFFbefore you go to sleep. |
| Choose Your Content | Avoid intense, exciting, or upsetting content in the evening. Pick a relaxing activity instead. |
By making these simple adjustments, you’ll be giving your brain the quiet, calm, and darkness it needs to power down for a great night’s rest!
References
- Nagata, J. M., Singh, G., Yang, J. H., et al. (2023). Bedtime screen use behaviors and sleep outcomes: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Sleep Health, 9(6), 664-672.
- Hartstein, L. E., Mathew, G. M., Reichenberger, D. A., et al. (2023). The impact of screen use on sleep health across the lifespan: A National Sleep Foundation consensus statement. Sleep Health, 9(6), 706-719.
- Ziporyn, T. D., Owens, J. A., Wahlstrom, K. L., et al. (2022). Adolescent sleep health and school start times: Setting the research agenda for California and beyond. A research summit summary. Sleep Health, 8(1), 16-24.