Joseph A. Buckhalt Ph.D.

Research-based recommendations for sleeping better in our screen-filled world. Key points Excessive screentime before bed and during the night disrupts sleep. Studies have searched for reasons screentime has this effect. Exposure to blue light, once thought to be responsible, has been found to have little effect. There are steps you can take to reduce the harmful effects of screentime. In previous posts, I have written about how excessive use of smartphones, tablets, and other screens at...

Screens significantly suppress production of melatonin in teens. Key points Many factors are related to teens getting insufficient sleep. Teens are heavy users of smartphones and social media. Use of self-luminous devices at night suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep onset. Reducing screen time at night will help teens get more sleep and improve ability to focus attention in school. It is widely acknowledged that most adolescents do not get sufficient sleep, leading to lowered emotional...

Children's sleep can be affected by what peers do and say. Children and adolescents may experience many kinds of discrimination. These...