San Francisco, May 25 (SANA) A new study from the University of California, San Francisco shows that over half of teenagers are sacrificing sleep for late-night smartphone use, with more than 50 minutes of average screen time recorded between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on school nights.
The research, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, found that 52.1% of 657 adolescents used their phones between midnight and 4 a.m. The participants, with an average age of 15, are part of the long-running Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a large U.S. cohort tracking child health and brain development.
The study used a tracking app installed on participants’ phones to passively monitor usage patterns. Lead author Jason Nagata, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, said the findings were notable because earlier research often relied on self-reported data.
Researchers found that most overnight phone activity involved social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, alongside streaming apps and games such as Roblox and Clash Royale.
Nagata said the midnight-to-4 a.m. window was particularly concerning, noting it represents a critical sleep period for adolescents, especially on school nights. He added that middle-of-the-night phone use could be linked to notifications, insomnia, or habitual phone checking upon waking.
He said social media use may also prolong wakefulness due to its emotionally stimulating content, making it harder for teenagers to fall back asleep even after putting the device away.
The findings build on existing research linking bedtime screen use to poorer sleep quality and reduced sleep duration, with experts recommending that adolescents receive 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
Nagata said the American Academy of Pediatrics advises families to create household media plans, with parents modeling healthy screen habits. He added that removing screens from bedrooms remains the most effective approach for improving sleep duration and quality.
However, two-thirds of teens in the study reported sleeping with a phone or other electronic device in their bedroom, underscoring how widespread nighttime access to screens has become.
Connecticut-based child and family therapist Kerri Anderson said parents increasingly report struggles with teens using phones overnight, contributing to fatigue, mood changes, and declining academic performance.
She said effective solutions depend on communication and cooperation between parents and teenagers, rather than strict enforcement alone, noting that adolescents often use devices for social connection and relaxation after daily pressures.
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