Screens before bed: the real science

Two problems, not one

The screens-and-sleep debate usually fixates on blue light, but light is only half the story. Yes, evening screen light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that opens sleep's gate, children's eyes let in more light than adults', making them more sensitive. But the bigger culprit is often stimulation: cliffhangers, notifications, one-more-round game loops and social feeds are engineered to keep the brain awake and asking for more. A "calming" tablet session is frequently neither.

What the evidence supports

A consistent finding across studies: screens in the bedroom and screen use in the hour before bed are associated with later sleep, shorter sleep and more tiredness. The strongest single move is structural, not nightly negotiation: devices charge overnight outside the bedroom. Every argument you'll ever have about "five more minutes" is won in advance by that one rule.

Making it work without war

Announce it as a whole-family rule, including parents' phones, which is where most plans die. Replace, don't just remove: audiobooks, music or a story fills the gap the screen leaves. Give a transition warning and end screen time with something the child chooses next ("screens off, then you pick the story"), so off-switch means trade, not loss. For teens, negotiate the principle together, autonomy buys compliance that decrees never will.

Educational content, not medical advice. Concerned about your child? Speak to your GP.