Screens before bed: how they affect children's sleep

One more episode, one more video, five more minutes. Screens slip easily into the end of the day, which is exactly when they cost the most sleep.

What the evidence says

A review of 67 studies in children and adolescents (Hale and Guan, 2015) found that, in the large majority, more screen time was linked to later bedtimes and less sleep. A later meta-analysis in JAMA Pediatrics (Carter et al., 2016) found that using devices at bedtime was associated with fewer hours of sleep, poorer sleep quality and more daytime sleepiness. One striking finding: simply having the device in the bedroom, even unused, was linked to worse sleep.

These are association studies, so on their own they do not prove cause and effect. But the results are very consistent, and there are mechanisms that explain them.

Why they cost sleep

• They take time: every stretch of screen time directly pushes bedtime back.
• They stimulate: videos and games are built to hold attention, the opposite of what a brain about to rest needs.
• Light: bright light in the evening can delay melatonin, the hormone that tells the body it is time to sleep.

What pediatricians recommend

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises turning screens off at least one hour before bedtime and keeping them out of the bedroom at night. It is not all or nothing: if an hour feels impossible, starting with half an hour already helps.

What to fill that last hour with

• A warm bath or shower.
• Quiet play: puzzles, building blocks, drawing.
• Getting tomorrow's clothes or school bag ready together.
• A story read aloud, in bed and in low light.
• Soft music or an audio story, with nothing to look at.

What about a story on a phone?

Let's be clear: lua lives on a screen too. The difference is in how it is used. A narrated story is listened to, not watched. Lower the brightness, turn on night mode, start the story and leave the phone face down, away from the pillow. Better still, use the text to read it aloud yourself. What is worth avoiding is not the device but staring at a bright screen right before closing their eyes.

Making the change without drama

Give notice («when this episode ends, we switch off»), use a timer that is not you, and have the next thing ready so that switching off is not only losing something. It helps a lot to have a fixed place outside the bedrooms where devices «sleep» at night, the adults' ones included.