New research reveals that using smartphones or tablets an hour after getting into bed increases insomnia risk by 59%. This insight, drawn from a major study on university students’ screen habits and sleep, underscores how late-night devices may significantly disrupt a person’s sleeping habits.
Screen time, particularly before bedtime, can disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Research consistently demonstrates that screen exposure, especially to blue light, disrupts sleep by suppressing melatonin production, a key hormone regulating the sleep-wake cycle.
Sleep issues are alarmingly prevalent among university students worldwide. The Norwegian study, involving over 45,000 participants aged 18-28, examined screen use in bed and sleep patterns. Findings revealed that each hour of in-bed screen time reduces sleep duration by 24 minutes and increases insomnia risk. Interestingly, the researchers found, these declines in sleep duration and sleep quality were consistent regardless of how a person was using their screen.
Smartphones are constantly being used anytime of the day and are considered hubs of entertainment. Sleep experts often suggest that social media may disrupt sleep more than passive activities like watching TV. This makes sense, as social media platforms are engineered to sustain engagement through interactions, notifications, and infinite scrolling, making it hard to disengage.
Increasing evidence confirms that screen use at bedtime has clear causal effects, disrupting sleep through time displacement, emotional arousal, and media engagement. Non-screen users showed a 24% reduced chance of insomnia symptoms, highlighting the value of excluding devices from the bedroom as an effective sleep hygiene strategy. If you face sleep challenges and think screen time might contribute, aim to cut back on device use in bed, ideally pausing 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
While questions about screen use and sleep persist, experts emphasize creating strong associations between your bed and restful sleep. They recommend keeping screens out of the bedroom entirely and charge your phone in another room overnight. Choose to use a classic alarm clock to wake up and swap bedtime screen use for other activities such as reading or enjoying music.
If you need to use your computer or smart phone after dark then it will help if you wear blue blocking glasses.
To view the original scientific study click below:
How and when screens are used: comparing different screen activities and sleep in Norwegian university students
