Screen Time and Children's Sleep

Most parents notice it before anyone explains it: the child who was on a phone late is harder to settle, and harder to wake for school. Sleep is not a luxury for a growing child. It affects mood, attention, learning and behaviour the next day.

How much sleep does a child actually need?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives these targets for total sleep in 24 hours, naps included:

• Newborns, 0 to 3 months: 14 to 17 hours
• Infants, 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours
• Toddlers, 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours
• Preschoolers, 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours
• School-age children, 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
• Teenagers, 13 to 17 years: 8 to 10 hours

Look at the teenage numbers again. A teenager leaving home at 7am needs to be asleep well before 11pm to reach 8 hours. A phone in the bed makes that very hard.

Why do screens make it harder to sleep?

The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that blue light from phones, computers, tablets, TVs and even nightlights can trick the brain into thinking it is daytime. That disrupts melatonin, the chemical that tells us we are sleepy. The content adds to it: messages, games and short videos are built to hold attention, so the brain stays switched on.

The AAP adds that in adolescence the body clock naturally shifts later anyway. It also notes that late-night phone and social media use, and hard physical activity close to bedtime, make falling asleep harder.

What rules actually work at home?

Screens off an hour before bed. The AAP advises turning off all screens at least 60 minutes before bedtime, and tells parents to encourage teenagers to put screens away at least an hour before they sleep. The CDC's sleep advice is similar, recommending devices be switched off at least 30 minutes before bed.

Charge devices outside the bedroom. The AAP is direct about this: keep all screens, including TVs, computers, laptops, tablets and phones, out of children's bedrooms, especially at night. For teenagers it suggests charging devices outside the bedroom overnight, because having the phone right there is simply too tempting.

Create screen-free zones and times. The AAP's family media plan suggests screen-free zones such as the dinner table, homework time and the hour before bed.

Turn off autoplay and notifications. The AAP points out these features are built to stretch viewing time.

Use a steady routine. The AAP recommends a regular daily routine with consistent wake times and meal times, and a short calming bedtime routine such as brush, book, bed. Dim the lights before bedtime and keep the room comfortable, not too hot.

Give daytime light and activity. The AAP lists daytime physical activity and bright light exposure among healthy sleep habits, so outdoor play in the daytime supports sleep at night.

Be the example. The AAP notes that parents are important role models for media habits. If adults put their phones away at dinner and at bedtime, children accept the rule far more easily.

What about young children?

The AAP says infants under 18 months learn best from real-world interaction, and that heavy solo screen use in the youngest children is linked with delays in language, thinking, social skills and fine motor development. For this age group, time with people beats time with screens.

When to see a doctor

Speak to a doctor if your child snores loudly most nights, seems to stop breathing or gasps during sleep, is very sleepy in the daytime even after enough hours in bed, regularly takes more than an hour to fall asleep, wakes repeatedly at night, or if poor sleep is affecting school, mood or behaviour. The AAP also notes that leg cramps and involuntary leg movements that wake a child can be linked to iron deficiency.

Do not give a child any sleep medicine or supplement without medical advice. If a child is struggling to breathe, turns blue around the lips, or cannot be woken, this is an emergency: call Rescue 1122 where available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.