Bli plusmedlem

Lower quality and shorter sleep

Screen in bed leads to poorer sleep

A new Norwegian study shows that increased screen time in bed may be associated with reduced sleep quality and shorter sleep duration.

Ove Kaufeldt
Published

It is a Norwegian study that has examined the relationship between screen time in bed and sleep quality among university students. The research, based on data from over 45,000 university students aged 18-28, shows that an increase of one hour of screen time after bedtime leads to a 59 percent higher likelihood of insomnia symptoms and an average reduction in sleep duration by 24 minutes.

The study reveals that there are no significant differences in sleep impact between different types of screen use, such as social media, streaming, or browsing. Surprisingly, those who only used social media in bed reported longer sleep duration and fewer insomnia symptoms compared to those who engaged in other or mixed activities. 

The researchers recommend that public health campaigns should focus on reducing total screen time, especially before bedtime, to improve students' sleep habits. However, they point out that further research is needed to better understand the relationship and mechanisms behind these results.

The study also has some limitations, including that it is a cross-sectional study (which makes it difficult to establish causality) and that the data is based on self-reporting. 

Related articles

health android ios news screen time

Latest reviews

Top How-tos

100 latest articles