Research

Adherence

Increased smartphone screen-time, particularly during the hour of and after bedtime, is associated with poorer sleep quality, reduced sleep efficiency, and longer sleep onset latency.

To improve sleep, minimize smartphone use during the hour before and after your intended bedtime. The study shows that screen time during these specific windows is linked to longer time to fall asleep and poorer sleep quality. If you must use your phone, use 'night mode' to reduce blue light, but be aware that engaging content can also stimulate your brain and delay sleep onset.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Longer average screen-times during bedtime and the sleeping period were associated with poor sleep quality, decreased sleep efficiency, and longer sleep onset latency.
Matthew A. Christensen et al. · PLoS ONE · 2016

Why this rating

Cross-sectional observational study with self-reported sleep data and objective screen-time measurement; cannot establish causation.

Source

Direct Measurements of Smartphone Screen-Time: Relationships with Demographics and Sleep

Matthew A. Christensen et al. · PLoS ONE · 2016

DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0165331

cross_sectional · n=653Cited 317×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →