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Turning On Screens Before Bed Can Cause Sleep Disturbances
Monday, 07 Apr 2025
Scrolling through your phone screen or scrolling through social media, watching episodes of your favorite series, sending text messages or checking your emails are often a daily routine before going to bed to relax.
However, this habit has a negative impact. Researchers estimate that just one hour of screen use can increase the risk of insomnia by 59 percent and reduce sleep duration by 24 minutes.
"We found no significant difference between social media and other screen activities, indicating that screen use itself is a major factor in sleep disturbances. This is likely due to the time shift where screen use delays sleep by taking up time that should be spent resting," said lead author of the study Dr. Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health as quoted by Medical Daily, Wednesday.
The study examined the impact of screen use on sleep among more than 45,000 students aged 18 to 28, the study focused on students because sleep problems are very common in this group and can have long-term impacts on their health and well-being.
The findings suggest that screen time disrupts sleep in four main ways: notifications disrupt rest, screen time replaces sleep, engaging in screen activities increases alertness and delays sleep, and exposure to screen light disrupts circadian rhythms, making it harder to fall asleep naturally.
While this study provides strong evidence linking screen time to sleep disturbances, it does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
It is also unclear whether excessive screen time causes insomnia or whether people who struggle with insomnia are more likely to use screens as a coping mechanism. However, based on the findings, the researchers believe that keeping devices away from your bed is a good way to sleep better.
“If you are having trouble sleeping and suspect that screen time may be a factor, try to reduce your screen time in bed, ideally stopping at least 30–60 minutes before bedtime. If you do use screens, consider turning off notifications to minimize distractions during the night,” she concluded.
