The rising popularity of devices among children aged 5-17 is impacting their sleep patterns.
Sleep is crucial for both mental and physical health with known benefits tied to focus, memory, learning, mood and the immune system.
For children, sleep is essential for physical health, brain development and learning.
Kids Academy lead childhood educator, Mia Cini said the use of devices before sleep can be disruptive to regular sleep patterns which promote learning and provide children with a sense of safety and security.
“Screens can be overstimulating making it harder for children to wind down and fall asleep,” Miss Cini said.
“The blue light from devices can affect their ability to produce melatonin which supports sleep. This can lead to difficulties settling and poorer quality sleep.
“Excessive device use can impact children’s attention span, emotional regulation and social interactions.”
Census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has highlighted the impacts of devices in the room when children are trying to sleep.
Queensland University Psychology Associate Professor, Dr Michael Noetel said the use of technology is becoming more versatile as children are using it more frequently in everyday life.
“Children are spending more and more time on screens, for everything from entertainment to homework to messaging friends,” Dr Noetel said.
“We found that increased screen time can lead to emotional and behavioural problems, and kids with those problems often turn to screens to cope.”
Additional data has shown that while daily screen time is high, it has remained stable in recent years.
In 2025, it was found that children aged 5-12 speng between three to five hours daily on devices, which far exceeds the recommended daily usage of no more than two hours.
The rise in screen time amongst children can be attributed to Covid-19 and the shift to digital learning tools. Additionally, parents have begun turning to devices for daily childcare to entertain or prevent meltdowns.
Among the older age range, devices are linked to social connectivity with data suggesting teenagers spending up to 30 percent of waking time in front of a screen.
Dr Noetel said screens have their use in certain areas such as educational tools, but when used prior to sleep or in spaces designated for rest they hinder the body’s natural function, having negative effects on the child.
Additional reporting: Karly Sommers.
Feature image source: shuttershock.
