Noah McCreary

Dr. Eric Dunnum

ENG: 101-6

7 December 2018

Bedtime Phone Use and Effects on the Mind

When it comes to the topic of smartphone usage before sleep, ample proof suggests that

individuals experience less productive sleep. However, the degree and age at which these devices

most interfere with our sleep quality proves to be a point of discussion among researchers.

Schweizer et al. and Tashjian et al. suggest that adolescents suffer the most from prolonged

screen time before bed. On the other hand, Exelmans and Bulck believe that adults experience

the same, if not more, symptoms related to this electronic usage. While Exelmans and Bulck

provide detailed information to show how adults handle screen time, I agree with Schweizer et

al. and Tashjian et al. in that adolescents remain more susceptible to gradual health decline as

their minds have not fully developed.

Schweizer et al. realize the temptations associated with owning a smartphone,

particularly for teenagers, and I agree that such a device allows for much easier access to

internet-based media. Schweizer et al. state that “adolescents can use it very discretely if needed,

even when they are supposed to be asleep” (132). Given the smaller size and convenience factor,

teens tend to use smartphones during times when they should be focused on more important

tasks such as academics or sleep. On many occasions, I have found myself watching Netflix

shows or various YouTube videos late into the night rather than turning them off and using

something more beneficial like reading to fall asleep. When I engage in such activities, I find that

I wake up much more tired compared to nights that I sleep without any entertainment
beforehand. This firsthand experience enables me to better agree with the position taken by

Schweizer et al. In addition to electronic media, many other factors may affect an adolescent’s

sleep such as emotional shifts, lower grades, and poor nutrition (Tashjian et al., 1). Nonetheless,

the removal of smartphone or other electronic device usage before sleep has been proven to

increase daily productivity and health.

To better explain the detrimental affects of screen time on adolescents, Tashjian et al.

discuss the physical and psychological alterations that occur from the transition between child

and teenager. I believe it is important to first understand the numerous factors that remain outside

the use of smartphones before bed. Tashjian et al. explain that “adolescents regularly experience

insufficient sleep duration, with only 10% of high-school adolescents in the United States

achieving National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommendations of more than 8 hours of sleep per

night” (1). Since such a large population of students lack enough sleep, it comes as no surprise

that many areas of life are affected. As children slowly enter the teen years, a decrease in sleep

duration associated with biological and environmental influences often occurs. In order to

effectively combat this, adolescents should look to other things to fill their time before sleep.

Simply reading or listening to an audiobook have a drastically reduced affect on the brain and

quality of sleep. Given the period of transition during puberty, teenagers experience more issues

than adults that result in shorter sleep.

In order to further clarify the difference in sleep duration for adolescents, Tashjian et al.

describe the physical alterations that occur, and I agree that these changes further limit the

healthy time spent on screens. They state that “most adolescents undergo a circadian shift and

slowing of sleep homeostatic pressure accumulation that contribute to shorter sleep durations

compared with prepuberty” (2). In other words, changes with the brain occur during puberty that
decrease the average sleep duration compared to childhood. Older adolescents like myself are

more prone to these symptoms than individuals just entering the time of physical transition.

Furthermore, certain environmental changes like a reduction in set bedtimes by parents, or a

desire to remain socially active more often may be responsible for lessened sleep times. Perhaps

parents should teach their children proper bedtime habits well into puberty so that they have less

of a desire to remain awake into the night. Tashjian et al. continue by mentioning, “adolescents

who use their cellphone before bed report increased tiredness, greater sleep disruption, and

evince disruption of circadian timing and melatonin suppression” (2). Given this information,

teenagers should strive to put away their devices before sleeping to ensure a restful night and

better health each day. Although adolescents struggle with this issue more than adults, there are

numerous older individuals that still make the mistake of using their phones before bed.

Exelmans and Bulck believe that adults experience different symptoms when viewing

media before sleep, but I believe that these effects occur only after an individual has finishing

growing mentally and physically. They elucidate that “while media use often results in a shorter

sleep duration among children and adolescents, also known as sleep displacement, studies among

adults have found evidence of time shifting, a process whereby media use coincides with later

bedtimes and rise times, resulting in no impact on total sleep duration” (94). Basically, adults

tend to indulge in entertainment for hours into the night and wake up later than they had planned.

In my personal experience, when I binge a show on Netflix until 2 or 3 AM, my body lacks

motivation to rise at my 7 or 8 AM alarm time. Instead, I find myself falling back asleep for two

to three more hours until I have achieved my 7-8 hours of sleep. While adults do exhibit certain

similar traits to adolescents, they do not experience as drastic of fatigue or other emotional

symptoms as teenagers.
 Attempting to demonstrate the affect of smartphone ownership on adolescent sleep

patterns, Schweizer et al. present a study providing ample evidence. I believe their data is

extremely relevant and shows the increased susceptibility of lessened sleep duration given the

presence of phones before bed. Schweizer et al. concluded that “overall, adolescents who owned

a smartphone were significantly more likely to have shorter sleep duration than non-owners”

(134). Merely the presence of a smartphone causes teenagers to become distracted with

entertainment and social media. If parents desire to maintain their child’s health, certain rules

regarding screen time and media consumption must be instituted. During my younger years, I

was limited to only a few hours of screen time per day. Also, from age 13 to 16 I was required to

charge my phone in my parents’ room during the night. In order to preserve the health of the

adolescent mind and body, replacing screen time before bed will inevitably result in better sleep

and a sharper focus for the day ahead. Beginning these habits at a young age and continuing

them well into puberty will establish a healthy bedtime routine for adolescents and adults.

Overall, the use of smartphones or other electronic devices before sleeping has been

proven to affect sleep duration and other areas during the next day. As we move further into this

growing technological world, newer devices will enter our lives and seek to harbor more of our

precious time. Since time remains constant, we must remember to limit use of such technology

and allow respite for the mind and body. Sleep will always remain one of the most important

things a human requires to thrive. Therefore, reducing time spent watching useless entertainment

or browsing social media applications will never fail to increase productivity and boost energy

and one’s emotional state. Although adults sometimes struggle to manage these devices,

adolescents continue to harm themselves by choosing screens over valuable rest. For the next

generation, let us endeavor to teach them when to turn off the phone and sleep.
 Works Cited

Exelmans, Liese, and Jan Van Den Bulck. “Bedtime Mobile Phone Use and Sleep in

Adults.” Social Science & Medicine, vol. 148, 2016, pp. 93–101.,

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.11.037.

Schweizer, Angélick, et al. “Adolescents with a Smartphone Sleep Less than Their

Peers.” European Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 176, no. 1, 2016, pp. 131–136.,

doi:10.1007/s00431-016-2823-6.

Tashjian, Sarah M., et al. “Bedtime Autonomy and Cellphone Use Influence Sleep Duration in

Adolescents.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 2018, doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.07.018.