The National Sleep Foundation released a consensus statement determining that pre-bedtime screen use impairs sleep health in children and adolescents.

Summary: The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has published a new consensus statement on the impact of screen use on sleep health, finding that children and adolescents are particularly affected by pre-bedtime screen use. The report, published in Sleep Health, reflects an analysis of 574 peer-reviewed studies and highlights the negative effects of stimulating screen content at night on young people’s sleep. The NSF emphasizes the importance of behavioral strategies and interventions to mitigate these effects and calls for appropriate screen use based on current evidence.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NSF found that screen use before bed negatively affects sleep health in children and adolescents, with stimulating content particularly impactful.
  • The NSF report, based on 574 peer-reviewed studies, suggests behavioral strategies and interventions can help reduce the negative effects of pre-bedtime screen use on sleep.
  • NSF recommends talking with children about screen use, setting time limits, supervising nighttime content, implementing relaxing bedtime routines, and modeling appropriate screen use to improve sleep health in youth.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has published a new consensus statement on the impact of screen use on sleep health, finding that children and adolescents are particularly affected by pre-bedtime screen use. 

The report, published in Sleep Health, aimed to achieve consensus on whether screen-based digital media in general, via prebedtime content, and via prebedtime light impairs sleep health in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

“The expert panel examined available scientific evidence, paying close attention to studies that examined whether, how, and for whom screen use might negatively impact sleep health. We found that stimulating content of screen use, particularly at night, has a negative effect on sleep health in young people,” says NSF vice president of research and scientific affairs, Joseph Dzierzewski, PhD, in a release. 

The multidisciplinary expert panel, consisting of 16 researchers who analyzed 574 peer-reviewed manuscripts on the subject, found that:

  • In general, screen use impairs sleep health for children and adolescents. 
  • The content of presleep screen use impairs sleep health for children and adolescents. 
  • Behavioral strategies and interventions can reduce the potentially negative effects of screen use on sleep.

Following the report, NSF called for the appropriate use of screens based on current evidence of their effect on sleep health in children and teens. 

“NSF is dedicated to improving sleep health for the public. Understanding what can negatively affect sleep health in youth and how to promote sleep health can set children and teenagers up for positive sleep health that can carry into adulthood,” says Temitayo Oyegbile-Chidi, MD, PhD, chair of NSF’s board of directors, in a release.

Best practices to reduce the impact of screens on sleep in youth, according to NSF, include:

  • Talking with children about how using tech and screens can impact sleep
  • Setting time limits around screen use, especially at night
  • Supervising content at night: avoid stimulating or upsetting material
  • Implementing early, regular, and relaxing bedtime routines without screens
  • Modeling appropriate nighttime screen use yourself

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