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Do bedtime smartphone screens disrupt adolescent sleep patterns?

"Late-night screen time halves teenagers' chances of getting a full night's sleep," reports The Daily Chronicle.

A study was carried out using an online self-report questionnaire designed by researchers at the University of Northumbria. Researchers identified associations between the self-reported hours spent on social media apps in the sixty minutes before bed and reduced sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and difficulties waking up in the morning.

Teenagers who used their smartphones for more than 2 hours in bed were 45% more likely to report getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night compared to those who used screens for 15 minutes or less.

However, it is vital to recognise that this correlation does not prove that pre-bed smartphone use directly causes poor sleep quality or shorter sleep duration. There are several limitations to the online survey method used. Although efforts were made to recruit a diverse sample, there is a risk of volunteer bias, as families with strong opinions on household screen rules may have been more eager to participate. Additionally, the data relies on adolescents accurately estimating their own screen-use duration and sleep onset times, which are notoriously difficult to estimate retrospectively. Furthermore, some teens may have underreported their actual screen time due to social desirability or fear of parental restrictions. Finally, the research has only been published as a non-peer-reviewed working paper.

Adapted from an online health report (November 2021)

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