Smartphone use linked to reduced sleep quality in teenagers

A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics indicates that increased smartphone use among teenagers significantly disrupts sleep patterns. Utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, researchers employed wearable fitness trackers and automated smartphone tracking to move beyond self-reported data.

The findings show that on nights when adolescents used their phones more than their personal average, they fell asleep over an hour later and experienced more than 20 minutes less total sleep. Additionally, phone use shortly before bedtime was strongly correlated with increased time spent awake in bed after initially falling asleep.

Experts from Stony Brook Medicine, Columbia University, and the Seattle Children’s Research Institute emphasize that late-evening phone use interferes with sleep, which is essential for optimal adolescent functioning. The research supports long-standing recommendations from the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Sleep Foundation regarding the risks of screen time for youth mental and physical health.