How to Minimize Negative Effects of Screentime on Sleep
Research-based recommendations for sleeping better in our screen-filled world.
Updated May 19, 2026 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
In previous posts, I have written about how excessive use of smartphones, tablets, and other screens at night is related to insufficient sleep in children and adolescents. In April, I attended an invited address on that topic by Dr. Barbara Galland at the International Pediatric Sleep Association in Florence, Italy. In her presentation, Unravelling the Digital Impact: Screens and Sleep, she summarized many studies that have been conducted in recent years. A 2024 paper in Sleep Medicine Reviews by a group of international pediatric sleep researchers (Bauducco et al., 2024) looked at several possible mechanisms thought to be responsible for the association of screen use with sleep problems. For one mechanism, they wrote that recent research had led them to modify some of their previously held conclusions. Most sleep researchers have assumed that the blue light emitted from screens delays the release of melatonin and consequently causes significant delays in sleep onset and less time asleep. But research has now shown that sleep is delayed by only a few minutes by blue light exposure and is not likely to be a very important factor relating to insufficient sleep.
But other factors matter more. Leaving the phone on overnight leads to nighttime interruptions, fragmenting and shortening sleep in a harmful way. One study the researchers reviewed showed that adolescents who experienced frequent interruptions were more than five times as likely to have poor sleep both concurrently and a year later. One suggestion is to put phones on airplane mode when going to bed or using the Do Not Disturb setting, allowing for messages only from particular people to get through. But some do not want to do that for fear of missing out on conversations among their friends. Some adolescents have even reported being reluctant to tell friends that they need to drop out of an individual or group conversation because they want to go to sleep.
Companies that sell apps deliberately structure them to keep users on as long as possible. Features such as autoplay and pop-ups are designed to prevent users from leaving. Temptations to watch “just one more video” are hard for some to resist. Since this is the case, avoiding the use of those kinds of apps in bed is beneficial. Parent-set bedtimes, “lights out,” and limitations on both the type and length of activity have proven to be effective in many cases.
Finally, the authors suggest that some use of devices near bedtime may actually be helpful in some cases when the goal is to downregulate emotional stress . For example, some might use a meditation app, process concerning events with friends, or try to distract themselves from negative thoughts that may make it difficult to go to sleep.
Bauducco, S., Pillion, M., Bartel, K., Reynolds, C., Kahn, M., & Gradisar, M. (2024). A bidirectional model of sleep and technology use: a theoretical review of how much, for whom, and which mechanisms. Sleep Medicine Reviews , 76 , 101933.
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Joseph A. Buckhalt, Ph.D. , is Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Auburn University. He and his colleague Mona El-Sheikh, Ph.D. conduct research on sleep, health, and development in children and adolescents.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.