Screens, Social Media, and Sleep in Children and Teens

Ask what happens near bedtime before you count minutes. Then match the change to the real sleep problem.

Your child says a video helps them fall asleep. Your teenager says leaving the group chat means missing everything. Screens can delay sleep, keep a conversation going, or interrupt the night. But a young person may also reach for a device because sleep is already hard.123 The most useful first step is to ask what happens near bedtime. Then match your response to the actual sleep problem.

Key takeaways

• A daily screen total can miss screen use in bed, which matters more for sleep.
• Social pressure can make signing off feel hard.
• Too little time for sleep, a late body clock, and insomnia need different responses.
• Night mode does not stop messages, worry, or another hour of scrolling.
• A small family experiment can help, but sleep problems that continue deserve an assessment.

In this article: Part 1 covers children ages 2 to 11. Part 2 covers teens ages 12 to 18. Part 3 gives practical steps, a two-week plan, and signs that a child needs professional care. These age groups are our own. Studies and sleep guidelines sometimes use different age cutoffs.

Zoom

Part 1: Children

First, ask what “can’t sleep” means

A child who starts a long video at bedtime may not have enough sleep opportunity, meaning enough time set aside for sleep. Another child may fight the bedtime routine or need a parent’s help each time they wake. A third may lie awake even when the room is quiet and there is plenty of time to sleep.

Insomnia means trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping well, even when there is time and a good setting for sleep. It can get in the way of the day.4 The word should not be used for every late bedtime. For healthy children who fight bedtime or wake at night, behavior-based steps come first. If those steps do not help, or a child has more complex medical problems, a sleep physician should evaluate the child.5

Here is an example. Picture two 8-year-olds. One watches videos until 10:30 p.m. and then falls asleep quickly. The other stops earlier but lies awake, worried, for a long time. Cutting the same number of screen minutes may help them in very different ways. The second child needs help with the worry, not just the device.

How much sleep do children need?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends these amounts of sleep in each 24 hours. Naps count where noted.6

These ranges help with planning. They are not a test that diagnoses a sleep problem from one night. A 12-year-old belongs in the 9-to-12-hour group, even though this article talks about that age in the teen section. Sleep quality, timing, and how a child does during the day also matter.6

Preschoolers: content and the bedtime routine both matter

For ages 2 to 5, look beyond whether a show is “educational.” Ask what the child sees, when they see it, and what happens when it ends. A gentle program watched earlier is very different from scary clips just before lights out.

A randomized trial of children ages 3 to 5 asked families to replace violent or age-inappropriate media with educational and prosocial content, meaning shows that model kindness and cooperation. Parent-reported sleep problems improved. The program also gave parents a home visit and follow-up phone calls, so no single piece can explain the whole result. It studied media content mostly from an earlier TV era, not today’s social-media feeds.7

A smaller 2024 trial randomly split 105 families of toddlers ages 16 to 30 months into three groups. One group removed screens in the hour before bed and used a bedtime box of other activities, such as reading and puzzles. A second group used the box without being asked to change screen time, and a third group changed nothing. Some sleep measures showed early signs of benefit, but several results were uncertain. This supports more study of a calm, screen-free hour before bed. It does not prove that every preschooler’s sleep will improve. All the children were toddlers, and about half were younger than 2.8

Social media in childhood: an account is not the only exposure

A child can see social media through a parent’s phone, a sibling’s feed, shared videos, or their own account. These are different situations. Research on teens with their own accounts cannot tell us what a 3-year-old experiences while watching a parent’s screen.

Little research separates these kinds of exposure in young children. A recent review of long-term studies on social media and sleep found that the youngest study groups started at age 10. That leaves big questions about younger children.3 Families can still look at the bedtime situation. Is the content upsetting? Does a shared device keep playing past the planned stopping point? Does a sibling’s phone keep waking the child?

When you decide about a first account, talk about overnight access and how to get help. Ask how your child would leave an uncomfortable conversation or ask an adult for help. This is a practical talk, not a tested readiness test. The age a platform allows is not a medical promise that a child is ready.

School-age children: fewer minutes do not guarantee better sleep

For ages 6 to 11, look at homework, gaming, TV, and messaging one at a time. A school assignment may need a device. A game may run late because it has no clear ending. Background TV and parents’ phone use also belong in the talk, especially in shared rooms.

In the Danish SCREENS trial, 89 families took part. The 45 families picked at random for the change sharply cut their recreational screen use for two weeks. Their children became more active. But their sleep, measured with a small brain-wave recorder, did not improve in any significant way. Children with a current sleep disorder were not included, so this was not a trial of treating insomnia in children.9

This is a useful limit. Cutting total screen time alone is not a proven cure for sleep problems. If a family’s main problem happens at bedtime, a targeted change may be more practical to test than counting every daytime minute.

Part 2: Teens

A late body clock is different from choosing to stay up

The circadian rhythm is the body’s roughly 24-hour timing system. In the teen years, many young people naturally prefer later bedtimes and later mornings.10 Early school start times can then leave too little time for sleep.1011 Screens may add another delay, but they do not explain every teen’s late schedule.10

Three patterns are worth telling apart:

• Not enough time for sleep: activities leave too few hours for sleep.
• Insomnia: sleep stays hard even with enough time and a good setting for sleep.4
• Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder: a teen falls asleep later than they would like and then struggles to wake on time, often enough to get in the way of school or other needs.11 A clinician may ask about bed and wake times on school days and on free days.12

A teen who keeps falling asleep much later than they want, and keeps struggling to wake on time, may need a body-clock assessment.11 That pattern is a clue, not a home diagnosis. A sleep diary can help a clinician tell the possibilities apart.412

Social media: “everyone is still talking” can be a sleep problem

The worry is not only how fun an app is. A teen may fear that not answering will look rude, hurt a friendship, or leave them out of tomorrow’s conversation.

In focus groups with 24 young people ages 11 to 17, teens described pressure to stay available and worry about missing online conversations. This helps explain their experience. But a small study like this cannot tell us how common that pressure is. It also cannot prove that the pressure causes insomnia.13

Group chats, private messages, scrolling, and posting may affect evenings in different ways. A supportive conversation can be valuable. An argument, repeated checking, or pressure to keep a conversation going all night can make it hard to sign off. Before you make a rule, ask which of these is really happening.

A large U.S. study followed 9,398 young people who were mostly ages 11 to 12 when their bedtime habits were measured. Using social media at bedtime was linked with more sleep problems and shorter sleep one year later. The researchers accounted for earlier sleep and several other factors, but some of their extra checks did not show the same link. Teens who left the phone ringer on overnight had worse sleep a year later than teens who turned their phones off. Even silent or vibrate mode was linked with slightly shorter sleep. These were reported habits and symptoms. The study was not a trial showing that turning off notifications treats insomnia, and other family or health factors could still play a part.2

What measuring sleep with devices adds

Daily screen totals can miss the time that matters most. A New Zealand study used video cameras, worn or set up in the room, and wrist devices to track 79 young people ages 11 to 14. Screen use in the two hours before bed was not linked with most sleep measures, although it was linked with falling asleep later. Interactive screen use once in bed was linked with less total sleep.1

Social media in bed was linked with trying to fall asleep later, but not clearly with shorter total sleep. Messaging was counted separately. This small study does not prove that screens are harmless. It also does not set one safe cutoff. It does show why “all screens do the same thing” is an unhelpful idea.1

Blue light is one piece, not the whole story

Evening light can affect the body’s sleep signals. But brightness, how long, timing, and what a person does on the device all matter.101 A warmer screen color cannot undo a stressful conversation or give back time spent scrolling.

A lab study compared reading a printed book with reading on a smartphone, with and without a blue-light filter. It included 33 teen boys and 35 young men. Reading on a phone without the filter lowered melatonin, a sleep hormone, in both age groups. The teens’ melatonin recovered by bedtime, and overall sleep changed little. The phones were put away about 50 minutes before bed, so the study did not test use in bed. Reading assigned stories in a lab is also different from an emotionally charged feed. Even so, the authors advise avoiding smartphones in the last hour before bed.14

Be wary of claims that glasses, filters, or “night mode” cancel every effect of using a device at bedtime. They may change light exposure. They do not replace a workable sleep schedule or care for insomnia.

What the social media evidence supports

This summary combines long-term studies and teens’ own accounts. It is not a proven treatment package. A 2026 review of long-term studies found that most linked social media with worse sleep, especially use at bedtime and problem use. Some studies found no link, and a few found benefits. The review also included young adults, so not all of its findings apply to children and teens.3

A useful question for teens is: “Are you online because you are not sleepy, or are you not going to sleep because you are online?” Both can happen on the same night. Low mood, anxiety, and attention problems deserve their own assessment alongside sleep. The companion essays in this series cover those concerns in more depth.

Part 3: Practical steps for patients and families

Choose a change that matches the problem

The table says what each step rests on: a trial in that age group, related clinical guidance, or a practical adaptation that has not been tested directly.

Build a bedtime transition, not another argument

For a younger child, choose a short routine the household can repeat: finish an activity, get ready for bed, share a book, then settle. Offer a small choice, such as which book to read. Use pictures to show the next step if that helps. These are practical ways to apply behavior-based sleep guidance, not a promise that one routine will work.5

Example of a parent-child conversation: “You really want another video. We are finishing this one. Then you can choose the animal book or the space book. Tomorrow we can decide together what to watch.”

For an older child, ask where the evening gets stuck. If homework ends late, address the workload or the schedule. If a game is hard to leave mid-round, agree on the last round before it starts. If fear shows up at lights out, ask what scared them. A timer cannot solve every reason a child stays awake.

Health guidance commonly suggests using the hour before bed for quiet time, away from bright screens.151714 Treat this as a starting point to adapt, not a proven line where screen use suddenly becomes safe or harmful. If a full hour is not workable, start with the time after getting into bed and see what changes. That smaller step is a practical experiment, not a tested insomnia treatment.

A social media plan that protects both sleep and connection

For children, adults should decide where devices stay overnight and what content is available on shared devices. If a child has an account, make the sleep agreement clear before late-night messaging becomes a habit.

For teens, make the plan together. Ask: “What do you enjoy online? What leaves you feeling worse? What change would you be willing to test?” Choose one social media change. For example, finish group chats before the wind-down, keep feeds out of bed, or turn the phone off at a set time.

Agree on how important contact will continue. A teen could send a last message saying they will reply tomorrow, move a conversation earlier, or plan another time to talk. Make sure the teen can still reach a parent in an emergency. These are practical ideas, not proven sleep treatments.

Example of a parent-teen conversation: “I believe your friends matter. You also seem exhausted in the morning. Which would be easier to test: putting the phone across the room after your last check-in, or keeping it outside the bedroom? Let’s check next weekend whether you feel more rested and still connected.”

Changing notification, autoplay, or recommendation settings may cut down unwanted interruptions or content, when those settings exist. Settings vary, so use current instructions for the device. Muting upsetting accounts or blocking harassment can reduce that exposure. But a filter does not guarantee safety or treat a sleep disorder. Platform design also matters, and protecting kids online is not something families can do alone.17

Try this two-week family experiment

This is an example plan, not a tested 14-day treatment or a promise of improvement. Do not put off needed care to finish it.

Days 1 to 3: Observe. Write a short note each morning without changing everything. Keep times rough, and avoid watching the clock during the night. Ask your child which evening problem bothers them most.

Days 4 to 10: Test one or two changes. Include one agreed social media change if it fits. Pair it with something the young person chooses to do instead: drawing, reading, quiet music without a feed, talking, or getting ready for tomorrow. Keep school access, communication aids, telehealth, and safety contact available.

Days 11 to 14: Review together. Compare school nights with similar school nights. Was waking up easier? Did the family argue less? Did your teen lose an important source of support? Fewer screen minutes alone are not success if mood or daily life gets worse.

Use this homemade tracking sheet. It is not a diagnostic tool.

Bring your notes to an appointment if problems continue. A clinician may ask you to keep a sleep diary for 1 to 2 weeks before a visit.12

If the plan helps partly, keep the useful part and fix one obstacle. If it fails, ask what was not practical. A shared bedroom may need an agreed quiet zone instead of removing every device. An inexpensive alarm clock can replace a phone alarm, but buying anything is optional. With two households, start with one shared goal even if routines differ. For a child who uses a communication device, protect its purpose while limiting entertainment where you can.

When routines are not enough

Basic habits support sleep but may not fully treat insomnia. Daytime activity, daylight, and avoiding caffeine are reasonable parts of a broader plan. Caffeine is found in caffeinated soda, coffee, tea, and chocolate. Keep the bedroom quiet, cool, and dark as much as you can.15

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, works on the habits and thoughts that keep sleep hard. A randomized trial of 116 young people ages 12 to 19 found benefits from guided online treatment and from group treatment. Its findings support structured treatment, not the idea that any sleep app works the same way. The trial did not include teens with other psychiatric or sleep problems, physical conditions that disturbed sleep, or drugs or medicines that affect sleep. Those limits matter when you apply its findings.16

Treatment for children and teens should be adapted to their age and health needs. Do not copy adult sleep-restriction schedules, and do not deliberately keep a child from sleeping. Ask a clinician about treatment when sleep stays hard even with a real chance to rest.

Body-clock problems may need a different approach. A 2026 randomized trial included 80 high school students ages 16 to 19 who usually fell asleep after 1 a.m. on weekends. It tested a combined program of planned sleep schedules, morning bright-light glasses, and evening glasses that block blue light. Compared with sleep tracking alone, the program lengthened school-night sleep over two weeks. The trial was small, and larger trials are needed. Because it was a package, it does not prove that blue-light glasses alone work. Plan timing-based treatment with a qualified clinician.18

Frequently asked questions

Does screen time cause insomnia?

It can feed habits that get in the way of sleep. But the studies reviewed here do not show that screens are the only cause of long-term insomnia. Look at the actual sleep pattern.14

Should we remove every screen for the whole day?

That is not a proven sleep treatment. Target the problem time of day and keep useful access. A trial that cut screen use broadly did not improve children’s measured sleep.9

Can my teen use night mode and keep scrolling?

A color change does not make a session shorter. Research on light filters should not be read as permission for unlimited use at bedtime.14

What if online friends are my child’s main support?

Keep the friendships in the plan. Try moving contact earlier, and watch whether the change leaves your child more isolated. A young person should not have to hide loneliness to keep access.

Should my child take melatonin?

Talk with your child’s clinician first. Melatonin may help some sleep-timing or developmental problems, but the cause of the problem and the timing of the dose matter. The amount of melatonin in U.S. supplements can vary a lot. Store it like any other medicine, out of children’s reach.19 It should not be used to make up for scrolling late at night.

What if we have tried the plan and sleep is still hard?

Get an assessment. Do not keep tightening rules until the family is exhausted. If behavior-based steps have not worked, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends an evaluation by a sleep physician.5 The next step may involve a sleep disorder, a review of medicines, or a different bedtime plan.12 Stress and worry can also keep a young person awake and may need their own care.20

When to get help

Arrange an evaluation for trouble falling or staying asleep that keeps going, a lot of daytime sleepiness, school problems, or a very late sleep pattern. Tell the clinician about bed and wake times on school days and free days, how rested your child feels, caffeine, health problems, and medicines.12 Mention pain, uncomfortable legs at night, and mood changes too. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own.

Snoring, breathing that starts and stops, and waking up often also need attention. Children with sleep apnea may seem overactive or have trouble paying attention at school, rather than simply looking tired.21 Struggling to breathe, bluish or gray skin, or a child who is hard to wake or not responding normally needs emergency help. Call 911 in the United States.22 A teen who is drowsy or short on sleep should not drive.23

For tonight, choose one small step. Ask what happens between getting into bed and trying to sleep. That answer may help more than another argument about the daily screen-time total.

Related reading on NP FADY

• Social Media, Screen Time, Anxiety, and Depression in Children and Teens, the companion essay on mood and worry
• Screen Time, Social Media, and ADHD in Children and Teens, the companion essay on attention
• He Can’t Fall Asleep. It May Not Be Defiance., on the teen body clock
• Bedtime Is a Battle: Sleep for Ages 4 to 12
• Screens, Kids, and Growing Brains

References

1. Brosnan B, Haszard JJ, Meredith-Jones KA, Wickham SR, Galland BC, Taylor RW. “Screen Use at Bedtime and Sleep Duration and Quality Among Youths.” JAMA Pediatrics. 2024;178(11):1147-1154. PMID 39226046. PubMed.

2. Nagata JM, Cheng CM, Shim J, et al. “Bedtime Screen Use Behaviors and Sleep Outcomes in Early Adolescents: A Prospective Cohort Study.” Journal of Adolescent Health. 2024;75(4):650-655. PMID 39046391. PubMed.

3. Sullivan EC, Dubicka B, Kirsop H, Henderson LM. “The Longitudinal Effects of Social Media on Sleep Among Youth: A Scoping Review.” Computers in Human Behavior Reports. 2026;21:100908. doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100908.

4. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “What Is Insomnia?” Last updated March 24, 2022. NHLBI.

5. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Insomnia in Children Health Advisory.” Adopted February 17, 2014. AASM.

6. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, et al. “Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.” Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2016;12(6):785-786. PMID 27250809. PubMed.

7. Garrison MM, Christakis DA. “The Impact of a Healthy Media Use Intervention on Sleep in Preschool Children.” Pediatrics. 2012;130(3):492-499. PMID 22869826. PubMed.

8. Pickard H, Chu P, Essex C, et al. “Toddler Screen Use Before Bed and Its Effect on Sleep and Attention: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA Pediatrics. 2024;178(12):1270-1279. PMID 39432278. PubMed.

9. Pedersen J, Rasmussen MGB, Sørensen SO, et al. “Effects of Limiting Recreational Screen Media Use on Physical Activity and Sleep in Families With Children: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA Pediatrics. 2022;176(8):741-749. PMID 35604678. PubMed.

10. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “How Sleep Works: Your Sleep/Wake Cycle.” Last updated March 24, 2022. NHLBI.

11. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Circadian Rhythm Disorders: Types.” Last updated March 24, 2022. NHLBI.

12. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Insomnia: Diagnosis.” Last updated March 24, 2022. NHLBI.

13. Scott H, Biello SM, Woods HC. “Identifying Drivers for Bedtime Social Media Use Despite Sleep Costs: The Adolescent Perspective.” Sleep Health. 2019;5(6):539-545. PMID 31523005. PubMed.

14. Höhn C, Hahn MA, Gruber G, Pletzer B, Cajochen C, Hoedlmoser K. “Effects of Evening Smartphone Use on Sleep and Declarative Memory Consolidation in Male Adolescents and Young Adults.” Brain Communications. 2024;6(3):fcae173. PMID 38846535. PubMed.

15. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency: Healthy Sleep Habits.” Last updated March 24, 2022. NHLBI.

16. de Bruin EJ, Bögels SM, Oort FJ, Meijer AM. “Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Internet Therapy, Group Therapy and a Waiting List Condition.” Sleep. 2015;38(12):1913-1926. PMID 26158889. PubMed.

17. Munzer T; American Academy of Pediatrics. “Helping Kids Thrive in a Digital World: AAP Policy Explained.” HealthyChildren.org. Last updated June 3, 2026. HealthyChildren.org.

18. Wescott DL, Quick AD, Oryshkewych NS, et al. “Chronotherapeutic Approaches to Target Insufficient and Late Sleep in Adolescents: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA Pediatrics. 2026;180(6):610-618. PMID 42008244. PubMed.

19. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Health Advisory: Melatonin Use in Children and Adolescents.” Adopted September 9, 2022. AASM.

20. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Insomnia: Causes and Risk Factors.” Last updated March 24, 2022. NHLBI.

21. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “Sleep Apnea in Children.” Last updated February 12, 2025. NHLBI.

22. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. “Recognizing Medical Emergencies.” Reviewed January 8, 2025. MedlinePlus.

23. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Drowsy Driving Health Advisory.” Adopted October 18, 2014. AASM.

This article is for education. It is not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. A qualified clinician can help your family identify the sleep problem and choose the right care. Evidence last checked October 5, 2026.

If you or someone you know is in crisis

• Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room for any life-threatening emergency.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, available 24/7, free and confidential. En español: marque 988 y oprima 2, o envíe AYUDA al 988. Deaf or hard of hearing: 988 videophone (ASL) or TTY 711 then 988. Veterans: 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
• Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741.
• The Trevor Project (crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people) — call 1-866-488-7386, or text START to 678-678.
• National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) — call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or text HOPE to 64673; free, confidential, 24/7. Online chat at RAINN.org/hotline.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline — call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788; 24/7, help in 200+ languages. Online chat at TheHotline.org. If your phone or computer may be monitored, calling from a safer device is an option.
• Riverside County — Inland SoCal Crisis Helpline 951-686-HELP (4357), 24/7 (Inland SoCal United Way / 211+, in partnership with RUHS-BH); Community Access, Referral, Evaluation and Support (CARES) Line 800-499-3008, 24/7.
• San Bernardino County — Access Unit (Behavioral Health Helpline) 888-743-1478, 24/7; Mobile Crisis/CCRT 800-398-0018 (24/7, all ages) or text 909-420-0560. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has a dedicated walk-in adolescent psychiatric ER (ages 13–17).
• Children under 13 — call 911 for immediate danger, contact your county's mobile crisis team (they respond to all ages), or go to the nearest pediatric emergency room.
• California Peer-Run Warm Line (non-crisis — someone to talk to) — call or text 1-855-600-WARM (9276); daytime and evening hours, not a 24/7 line.
• NP Fady (non-emergency) — for routine scheduling or questions, call (909) 707-6261. This line is not monitored for emergencies.