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Brain & Nervous System236 citations

• Smartphones may be the cause of the increase in self-reported short sleep duration

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Authors not listed · 2009

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Teen sleep loss increased 16-17% from 2009-2015, directly correlating with smartphone and social media adoption patterns.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers analyzed sleep data from nearly 370,000 U.S. adolescents between 2009-2015 and found teens became 16-17% more likely to sleep less than 7 hours per night. The study identified increased screen time from smartphones, social media, and electronic devices as the primary driver of this sleep decline. Unlike other activities that remained stable, new media use showed a clear dose-response relationship with sleep loss.

Why This Matters

This large-scale study reveals a concerning trend that coincides perfectly with smartphone adoption among teenagers. What makes this research particularly compelling is its massive sample size and the clear timeline showing sleep deterioration accelerating after 2011-2013, precisely when smartphone ownership exploded among teens. The dose-response relationship is especially telling - the more screen time, the worse the sleep outcomes.

The implications extend beyond simple sleep hygiene. We're witnessing the first generation to grow up with constant EMF exposure from personal devices, and sleep disruption represents just one measurable health impact. When you consider that smartphones emit radiofrequency radiation directly against the head and body for hours daily, often kept bedside overnight, the sleep effects documented here may be just the tip of the iceberg for this generation's long-term health outcomes.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
Unknown (2009). • Smartphones may be the cause of the increase in self-reported short sleep duration.
Show BibTeX
@article{smartphones_may_be_the_cause_of_the_increase_in_self_reported_short_sleep_duration_ce4765,
  author = {Unknown},
  title = {• Smartphones may be the cause of the increase in self-reported short sleep duration},
  year = {2009},
  doi = {10.1016/j.sleep.2017.08.013},
  url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29157587},
}
DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2017.08.013PubMed: 29157587

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, the study found adolescents were 16-17% more likely to sleep less than 7 hours nightly in 2015 compared to 2009. The increase accelerated after 2011-2013, coinciding with widespread smartphone adoption among teenagers.
The research analyzed data from 369,595 U.S. adolescents using two nationally representative surveys conducted annually since 1991 and 2007. This massive sample size makes the findings particularly reliable and representative.
Yes, researchers found a clear exposure-response relationship, meaning more electronic device use correlated with shorter sleep duration. The effect was most pronounced after 2 or more hours of daily electronic device use.
Short sleep duration among adolescents increased from 35% to 41% in one survey and from 37% to 43% in another between 2009 and 2015, representing significant population-level changes in sleep health.
No, other activities traditionally associated with short sleep like homework, working for pay, and TV watching remained stable or decreased during this period, making new media screen time the likely culprit for increased sleep problems.