It’s a common challenge in many households: getting kids to put away their phones before bedtime.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children avoid screens for at least an hour before bed to promote better sleep. However, for many parents and guardians, enforcing this rule can feel nearly impossible. After a long day of school, extracurricular activities, and homework, kids often see this time as their opportunity to unwind, making them reluctant to part with their phones.
Fortunately, a recent study published on September 3 in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that pre-bedtime phone use may not be as harmful to sleep as once thought.
The study found that while phone use in the two hours before bed didn’t significantly reduce the amount of sleep children got, it did lead to later bedtimes and wake-up times. However, the research also emphasizes that using phones once kids are in bed can negatively affect their sleep quality.
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This study, conducted in New Zealand with children aged 11 to 14, offers new insights into how phone use impacts sleep.
However, using phones after getting into bed was found to be detrimental to sleep. Engaging with phones interactively—through gaming or multitasking a worse impact on sleep than more passive activities like watching movies. But even passive use still interfered with sleep quality.
“What we found is that screens and sleep are competing for the same slice of time – you can either be streaming or dreaming, but not both,” said lead author Bradley Brosnan, a researcher in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, New Zealand.
Brosnan, who is also the director of Screenwise, a nonprofit promoting digital wellness, noted a limitation of the study: it focused on younger teenagers. The effects of phone use before bed may differ for younger children or older teens.
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The Importance of Sleep: How to Manage Your Childs Phone Usage
Sleep is vital for children’s health. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, insufficient sleep increases the risk of accidents, injuries, and various health issues, including depression and obesity. Sleep deprivation is also linked to difficulties in learning, paying attention, and behavior problems.
The new research suggests that parents should discourage phone use in bed. However, it’s often unrealistic to expect children to completely avoid their phones. Social media apps are designed to be addictive, with constant notifications and endless content feeds.
A practical approach may be for parents to take their children’s phones away before bedtime and return them in the morning.
It’s also essential to remember that sleep loss isn’t the only risk associated with phone use. During those hours before bed, teens could be exposed to cyberbullying, online scams, or even predators. That’s why, when I speak to parents about managing their children’s social media use, I recommend setting rules that fit their family’s unique needs and circumstances.
Setting Rules for Smartphone Use
While it’s crucial to ensure that phones don’t disrupt sleep, parents must also make sure they don’t interfere with children’s education, extracurricular activities, or quality time with family and friends. One possible rule is having kids leave their phones at home during school hours. Another option is requiring them to put their phones away while doing homework or at the dinner table.
Of course, exceptions are often necessary. In my own home, for example, my phone is sometimes on the dinner table because my husband, an ER doctor, works many evenings. My daughters and I like to briefly chat with him via FaceTime during dinner so he can catch up on their day.
Similarly, while it’s usually best to avoid phone use during homework time — as multitasking with social apps is distracting – there are instances when kids may need internet access for school research or to reach out to a friend with questions about an assignment.
It’s crucial for parents to talk with their children about the dangers they may encounter online. I recommend discussing the risks of sharing intimate images, as these could later be used in “sextortion,” where someone threatens to post the images online unless the child pays money or engages in inappropriate acts.
Parents should also remind their kids that many online profiles are fake. A friendly message or follow request could be from a predator posing as someone else.
Helping children find healthy online communities is another important step. One way to do this is by exploring social apps together, searching for content that aligns with their hobbies and interests. This way, even when parents aren’t around, children are more likely to be shown similar, positive content, as algorithms tend to present what users seem to enjoy.
It’s equally important to talk about how people often post idealized versions of their bodies and lives online, using filters and editing tools. Without these discussions, kids may feel pressured to measure up to unrealistic standards they see on social media.
Lastly, make sure to address the dangers of harmful content, such as extreme fitness inspiration. For example, one woman I interviewed for my book shared how exposure to this type of content during her teenage years contributed to the development of an eating disorder.
The Most Important Message
The key message to communicate to kids is that if they encounter trouble online, they should feel comfortable turning to their parents for help, said Carrie Goldberg, a victims’ rights attorney in New York City, during an interview for my book.
Goldberg, who frequently handles cases involving children abused online, shared that many kids in dangerous situations — such as being sextorted — are often too afraid to tell their parents, fearing their phones will be taken away.
This new research serves as a reminder that there are practical, commonsense strategies to help children navigate the risks of using their phones. It should also provide parents with some peace of mind.
