TL;DR

• Increased screen time is generally associated with poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration.
• Night-time use of screens, especially in dark environments, exacerbates negative sleep outcomes.
• Portable electronic devices have a stronger impact on sleep than non-portable ones.
• Contextual factors, such as physical activity, can influence the relationship between screen time and sleep.
• Interventions to reduce screen time can lead to modest improvements in sleep duration and quality.

How Does Screen Time Affect Sleep Quality? 📊

Screen time, particularly before bed, is often linked to poorer sleep quality. Studies have shown that increased screen time is associated with shorter sleep duration and decreased sleep efficiency. For instance, a study found that longer average screen times during bedtime were linked to poor sleep quality and longer sleep onset latency (Christensen et al., 2016). Similarly, night-time use of screen-based media devices (SBMD) was consistently associated with poor sleep outcomes and lower health-related quality of life in adolescents (Mireku et al., 2019).

Does Screen Time Before Bedtime Affect Sleep Duration? 🕒

Yes, screen time before bedtime can significantly affect sleep duration. Research indicates that each additional hour of screen time can reduce nightly sleep by several minutes. For example, a study found that each hour of digital screen use was associated with 3-8 fewer minutes of sleep per night in children (Przybylski, 2019). Moreover, screen use in the two hours before bed was linked to delayed sleep onset, particularly when the screen time was interactive (Brosnan et al., 2024).

Are Portable Devices More Disruptive to Sleep? 📱

Portable electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are more disruptive to sleep compared to non-portable devices like televisions. A study highlighted that the association between screen time and sleep duration was primarily driven by portable devices, with non-portable devices being less relevant for children over age 10 (Twenge et al., 2019). This suggests that interventions targeting portable device use may be more effective in improving sleep outcomes.

Can Physical Activity Mitigate the Effects of Screen Time on Sleep? 🏃‍♂️

Physical activity can play a crucial role in mitigating the negative effects of screen time on sleep. A study found that high screen time was associated with poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep duration only in adolescents who were insufficiently active (Santos et al., 2023). This indicates that maintaining high levels of physical activity may help improve sleep patterns despite high screen time.

What Interventions Can Improve Sleep in the Context of Screen Time? 🛌

Interventions aimed at reducing screen time have shown modest improvements in sleep duration and quality. A systematic review found that interventions to control children's screen use resulted in a mean reduction in screen time and a slight increase in sleep duration (Martin et al., 2020). These interventions were more effective when they specifically targeted screen use or sleep and involved direct participant contact.

Conclusion

Overall, increased screen time, especially before bed, is generally associated with poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration. Portable electronic devices have a more significant impact on sleep than non-portable ones, and contextual factors like physical activity can influence these outcomes. While interventions to reduce screen time can lead to modest improvements in sleep, further research is needed to explore additional strategies and mediating factors.

References

Christensen, M., Bettencourt, L., Kaye, L., Moturu, S., Nguyen, K., Olgin, J., Pletcher, M., & Marcus, G. (2016). Direct Measurements of Smartphone Screen-Time: Relationships with Demographics and Sleep. PLoS ONE, 11. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0165331

Przybylski, A. (2019). Digital Screen Time and Pediatric Sleep: Evidence from a Preregistered Cohort Study. The Journal of Pediatrics, 205, 218–223,223.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.09.054

Mireku, M., Barker, M., Mutz, J., Dumontheil, I., Thomas, M., Röösli, M., Elliott, P., & Toledano, M. (2019). Night-time screen-based media device use and adolescents' sleep and health-related quality of life.. Environment international, 124, 66-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.11.069

Twenge, J., Hisler, G., & Krizan, Z. (2019). Associations between screen time and sleep duration are primarily driven by portable electronic devices: evidence from a population-based study of U.S. children ages 0-17.. Sleep medicine, 56, 211-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SLEEP.2018.11.009

Brosnan, B., Haszard, J., Meredith-Jones, K., Wickham, S., Galland, B., & Taylor, R. (2024). Screen Use at Bedtime and Sleep Duration and Quality Among Youths.. JAMA pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.2914

Martin, K., Bednarz, J., & Aromataris, E. (2020). Interventions to control children's screen use and their effect on sleep: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Sleep Research, 30. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13130

Santos, A., Prado, W., Tebar, W., Ingles, J., Ferrari, G., Morelhão, P., Borges, L., Dias, R., Beretta, V., & Christofaro, D. (2023). Screen time is negatively associated with sleep quality and duration only in insufficiently active adolescents: A Brazilian cross-sectional school-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102579