Screens and sleep: the most consistent finding in the research
Across dozens of studies, kids who use devices at bedtime tend to sleep less and feel sleepier the next day. It's one of the clearest patterns in screen-time research.
Bedtime screen use is consistently linked with shorter, poorer sleep. A meta-analysis of about 125,000 children found bedtime device use was associated with roughly twice the odds of not getting enough sleep. Pediatricians recommend screens off an hour before bed and phones out of the bedroom at night.
What the research found
- Twice the odds of too little sleep. Carter and colleagues (JAMA Pediatrics, 2016) pooled studies of 125,198 children. Bedtime device use was associated with about twice the odds of inadequate sleep (OR 2.17), poorer sleep quality (OR 1.46) and more daytime sleepiness (OR 2.72). Even having a device in the bedroom without using it was linked with too little sleep (OR 1.79).
- Nine in ten studies agree. A review of 67 studies (Hale & Guan, 2015) found about 90% linked screen time with worse sleep, mostly later bedtimes and shorter sleep.
- Expert guidance. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises avoiding screens an hour before bed and keeping phones and screens out of kids' bedrooms at night. The APA (2024) recommends that social media "should be limited so as to not interfere with adolescents' sleep." The UK's Chief Medical Officers (2019) advise leaving phones outside the bedroom at bedtime.
Where experts disagree
Carter and colleagues rated their own evidence quality as low: the studies are observational, self-reported and very different from each other. The UK's Chief Medical Officers note that links don't prove causation, and that kids who already sleep poorly may reach for a phone. Some researchers argue the effects are real but small, often a matter of minutes.
How this shaped OurDot
OurDot's sleep mode is on by default for kids, from 8:30 pm to 7 am, and guardians can change it. During sleep mode everything rests except the guardian line. The lock runs on our servers, so it can't be skipped by changing a phone setting. Notifications for kids in sleep mode stay quiet, except their guardian line.
What we don't claim
- That screens cause sleep loss, or that sleep mode will add a set amount of sleep.
- Claims about blue light and melatonin, which are still contested.
Sources
- Carter et al., "A meta-analysis of the effect of media devices on sleep outcomes," JAMA Pediatrics (2016)
- Hale & Guan, Sleep Medicine Reviews (2015)
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Screen time affecting sleep (2023)
- APA, Potential risks of content, features, and functions (2024)
- UK Chief Medical Officers, commentary on screen time (2019)