Digital device use is associated with poorer sleep in adolescents
A review of reviews linked device use, especially late-night and problematic use, with shorter sleep and later bedtimes. Study differences and self-reported data limit interpretation.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Across the included reviews, adolescent device use was associated with shorter sleep, later bedtimes and poorer sleep quality. Late-night use and problematic social media or internet use stood out. The evidence describes relationships across varied studies; it does not establish that changing device use would produce a particular sleep improvement for an individual teenager.
Studies differed considerably, and many relied on self-reported information. The abstract gives no pooled effect estimates or follow-up periods, leaving the size, timing and causal direction of the associations uncertain.
What the review combined
This umbrella review summarized existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. It examined sleep duration, delayed bedtimes, sleep quality and the time needed to fall asleep, asking how these outcomes related to different forms of device use.
Why device type matters here
Smartphones and computers showed stronger adverse associations than television, while social media and internet use featured prominently. These comparisons help describe the reported pattern, but the abstract does not establish a safe threshold for device use.
The original publication
Digital Devices Use and Sleep in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review.
Fiore M, Arena D, Crisafi V et al.
Int J Environ Res Public Health · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41154921
- Record checked
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