Insufficient sleep affects nearly 35% of American adults1, 25% of young children2, and as

many as 72% of high school students3. While many factors can harm sleep, technology in the
bedroom is a growing problem affecting people of all ages.

In the National Sleep Foundation’s 2011 Sleep in America Poll, 95% of people said they
regularly use some type of electronics within an hour of bedtime. This has only intensified
with the popularity of cell phones, tablets, and e-readers. Recent studies have found that
around 75% of children4 and 70% of adults5 use electronic devices in their bedroom or in bed.

Unfortunately, using electronic devices at night can interfere with both the quantity and
quality of sleep. To counteract this, an increasing number of sleep experts recommend
keeping technology out of the bedroom.

While setting up a technology-free bedroom may seem like a big change, its benefits can be
significant. Our tips walk you through the practical steps needed to keep electronics from
interfering with your or your child’s sleep.

Tech free bedroom

A technology-free bedroom can enhance sleep by preventing multiple problems associated

with using electronic devices at night:

 Using devices tends to delay the time when you actually go to sleep, reducing sleep
duration.
 Technology affects the brain, stimulating your mind and making it harder to fall
asleep.
 Sounds and blinking lights can cause unwanted awakenings when sleeping next to
electronics.
 The blue light emitted by many devices disrupts the natural production of melatonin, a
hormone that facilitates sleep and can throw off your circadian rhythm.

Even if you put your cell phone or other devices into silent mode, having them in the
bedroom creates the temptation to look at them if you wake up during the night, potentially
thwarting your ability to fall back asleep.