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Before I begin, I want to let you know that a new podcast episode was released yesterday, titled No More Phones in the Bedroom: One Mom’s Challenge, and it directly ties into today’s blog.
Listen Here: Website // Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube
Insomnia — most people have experienced it, and it’s really not pleasant. I’m sure many of you can relate.
The first time I experienced insomnia was during my senior year of college, and that’s what sparked my interest in the science of sleep.
Later, when I became a doctor, I found that one of the most common reasons people come to see me is because they’re struggling to sleep.
Fast forward to today, many adults now bring mini-computers to bed, full of whatever keeps us scrolling: news, sports, social media, and so on.
I treat sleep problems first and foremost with behavioral changes. What's called CBT-I, which always includes a conversation about nighttime tech use.
Now, let’s talk about my younger patients, who often come to my office with their parents. Whether or not the young person is bringing up sleep issues, there are things I often bring up with their parents.
Today, I share two key things I think are critical for parents to know.
I’ve heard over the years from many parents who feel hypocritical enforcing a rule that their child can’t have a phone (or iPad, etc.) in their room at night when they themselves do.
However, here's the key point to note: Setting a rule about keeping devices out of children’s rooms during sleep time isn’t hypocrisy. It’s practicing evidence-based parenting.
Let me explain.
Parents tell me that if they sleep with their phones nearby, it’s unfair or inconsistent to ask their kids not to do the same. But this kind of thinking, while understandable, isn’t in line with what helps young people truly thrive.
The truth is, adults and kids are not the same. Adults have different privileges and responsibilities, and our brains are fully developed. We can make choices about our devices that kids and teens simply aren’t ready to manage on their own.
We address this topic in the “Pushbacks” section of our new Screen-Free Sleep campaign website, where we talk about how adults have different responsibilities than kids, such as needing a phone nearby for emergencies. Many adults want their own parents or others to be able to reach them late at night if there’s a problem, and having the phone close by is more convenient for that reason.
Yes, it’s better modeling if we also keep our phones out of the bedroom, but whether they do or don’t is separate from what’s best for kids.
That said, it’s essential that parents explain why screen-free sleep matters for their children. Research shows that inadequate sleep affects brain development in young people, and kids are more likely to get less than the recommended amount when screens are allowed in their bedrooms, even if they don’t use them at night!
You can find more examples of the negative effects of insufficient sleep, such as impacts on learning, attention, and mental health, in the Research section of the Screen-Free Sleep website.
You’ll likely get better sleep if you decide to keep your phone out of your bedroom, and it’s not too late to try this out for yourself.
If you’d like to try keeping your phone out of your room but are hesitant about it, yesterday’s podcast episode features me working through this very issue with a mom who wants to give it a try. I walk her through a step-by-step game plan. (And best yet, in the next episode, you’ll find out how she did, along with two other moms I helped with phone-related habits they wanted to change.)
Perhaps you can place your phone in a nearby room, or even the bathroom, so you can still hear your alarm if needed. This way, you’ll also hear a call in case of an emergency from an aging parent, another family member, or a teen who’s out on a weekend night.
For me, I’ve always kept my phone (and all tech) out of my bedroom. Funny enough, while I used to have a digital alarm clock, I don’t own one anymore. I didn’t like seeing the time if I woke up in the middle of the night. I keep my phone in my office, and I can still hear the alarm go off. I know this helps me sleep much better.
I hear from many adults who don’t sleep with their phones in their rooms that they do it to get better sleep, and it really does deliver on that.
And then, of course, there is research that shows the same thing. For example, in one study of young adults, participants were randomized to sleep with their phones either in their rooms or outside for a week. The researchers found that “sleeping without smartphones improves sleep, relationships, focus, and wellbeing.” Nearly 94% of those who didn’t sleep with their phones said they might or would continue to keep them out of the room.
Pro Tip: If you want to keep your phone in your room overnight, try moving it out of reach, like on a dresser.
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Before I begin, I want to let you know that a new podcast episode was released yesterday, titled No More Phones in the Bedroom: One Mom’s Challenge, and it directly ties into today’s blog.
Listen Here: Website // Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Youtube
Insomnia — most people have experienced it, and it’s really not pleasant. I’m sure many of you can relate.
The first time I experienced insomnia was during my senior year of college, and that’s what sparked my interest in the science of sleep.
Later, when I became a doctor, I found that one of the most common reasons people come to see me is because they’re struggling to sleep.
Fast forward to today, many adults now bring mini-computers to bed, full of whatever keeps us scrolling: news, sports, social media, and so on.
I treat sleep problems first and foremost with behavioral changes. What's called CBT-I, which always includes a conversation about nighttime tech use.
Now, let’s talk about my younger patients, who often come to my office with their parents. Whether or not the young person is bringing up sleep issues, there are things I often bring up with their parents.
Today, I share two key things I think are critical for parents to know.
I’ve heard over the years from many parents who feel hypocritical enforcing a rule that their child can’t have a phone (or iPad, etc.) in their room at night when they themselves do.
However, here's the key point to note: Setting a rule about keeping devices out of children’s rooms during sleep time isn’t hypocrisy. It’s practicing evidence-based parenting.
Let me explain.
Parents tell me that if they sleep with their phones nearby, it’s unfair or inconsistent to ask their kids not to do the same. But this kind of thinking, while understandable, isn’t in line with what helps young people truly thrive.
The truth is, adults and kids are not the same. Adults have different privileges and responsibilities, and our brains are fully developed. We can make choices about our devices that kids and teens simply aren’t ready to manage on their own.
We address this topic in the “Pushbacks” section of our new Screen-Free Sleep campaign website, where we talk about how adults have different responsibilities than kids, such as needing a phone nearby for emergencies. Many adults want their own parents or others to be able to reach them late at night if there’s a problem, and having the phone close by is more convenient for that reason.
Yes, it’s better modeling if we also keep our phones out of the bedroom, but whether they do or don’t is separate from what’s best for kids.
That said, it’s essential that parents explain why screen-free sleep matters for their children. Research shows that inadequate sleep affects brain development in young people, and kids are more likely to get less than the recommended amount when screens are allowed in their bedrooms, even if they don’t use them at night!
You can find more examples of the negative effects of insufficient sleep, such as impacts on learning, attention, and mental health, in the Research section of the Screen-Free Sleep website.
Last week we introduced you to our Screen-Free Sleep campaign! Since then, we’ve been flooded with emails and calls, and most are asking the same question: How can we get this spreading in our school? Today’s blog has the answers.
READ MORE >
Finally, after years of wanting to do this, Lisa Tabb and I, along with our Screenagers team, have launched a national campaign to get devices out of the bedroom at sleep time for elementary and middle schoolers.
READ MORE >
Have you ever read a magazine in a dentist's chair, and it made you want to jump out of the chair? That is what happened to me when I saw an ad, which is the photo of today’s blog. I was completely shocked that people in the industry would have the nerve to imply that taking a drug is how a small child “sleeps naturally.”
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
