Back to School: How to Manage Technology for Better Sleep and Academic Success
Did you know:
Nearly 4 out of 5 (78%) teenagers keep their phones in the bedroom all night? Mediasmarts Canada
Nearly half (48%) text throughout the night? Instagram Study 2024 White Hatters
A study of 250,000 Australian kids found ‘28 percent of eight to 11-year-olds, 57 percent of 12 to 14-year-olds, and 80 percent of those aged 15 and over send and receive messages and calls between 10pm and 6am at least once a week’.
As the kids head back to school, it’s crucial for parents and caregivers to set up routines that promote healthy habits, particularly around technology use. One key area of concern is smartphones and how they impact sleep. Research consistently shows that excessive screen time, especially before bed, can disrupt sleep patterns and reduce overall sleep quality. Here’s how to manage technology in a way that ensures your child is well-rested, ready to learn and resilient enough to manage the back to school challenges.

The Impact of Smartphones and devices on Sleep
Modern technology is a huge part of our lives, but it’s important to recognize how it affects our children’s health, particularly their sleep. Here’s how smartphones can interfere with a good night’s sleep:
- Risk of Impulsive Behaviour: Once the lights go off the risks of impulsive behaviour increase. Opportunists know this. Even peers know this is the time when inhibitions are lowered. Don’t take the risk as this is the riskiest time.
- Overstimulation: Social media, games, and videos can be mentally stimulating, making it difficult for kids to wind down. This keeps their minds active when they should be relaxing in preparation for a good nights sleep.
- Disruptive Alerts and Notifications: Even if young people are not actively using their phones, notifications and buzzing sounds can disrupt their sleep throughout the night.
Why Smartphones Should Be Kept Out of the Bedroom
Establishing a no-phone rule at bed time and at least an hour before bed aids and promotes better sleep. Here are some key reasons to adopt this practice:
- Encourages a Healthy Sleep Environment: Bedrooms should be places of rest and relaxation. Keeping smartphones out of the bedroom late at night helps reinforce this.
- Limits Late-Night Screen Time: Without access to their phones, children are less likely to stay up late scrolling through social media or playing games.
- Reduces Temptation: Even with good intentions, the temptation to check a device ‘just one more time’ can lead to extended screen time and less sleep.
Practical Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Implementing these changes can be challenging, but with some consistent strategies, you can successfully create a technology-free bedroom environment:
- Set a Family Tech Curfew: Establish a time when all screens are turned off for the night—ideally, at least one hour before bedtime. This applies to everyone in the household, including parents. Lead by example.
- Create a Central Charging Station: Designate a common area, like the kitchen or living room, where all devices are charged overnight. This keeps phones out of bedrooms and eliminates the temptation for late-night use.
- Model Good Behaviour: Children are more likely to follow rules when they see their parents doing the same. Be a role model by keeping your phone out of your bedroom at night.
- Offer Alternatives for Relaxation: Help your child develop bedtime routines that don’t involve screens. This could include relaxing activities such as reading a book, spending time with pets or – dare I say it ‘having a chat!’
- Discuss the Why Behind the Rule: Talk openly with your young person about why limiting screen time before bed is important. Understanding the reasons behind the rule can make them more likely to comply.
Additional Benefits: Improving School Performance
Getting a good night’s sleep is linked to better academic performance. Well-rested children are more focused, have better memory retention, are less irritable and more resilient, all of which contribute to a positive school experience, because let’s face it, going back to school has it’s social challenges and feeling emotionally strong is essential.
Overcoming Challenges
Resistance is normal, especially from teenagers who are used to having their phones with them at all times. Here’s how to navigate some common challenges:
- Compromise and Negotiate: Start by setting small goals. For instance, allow weekend flexibility where screen use can be extended, but maintain stricter rules on school nights.
- Use Parental Controls: Many devices have built-in features that allow you to set time limits or block certain apps during specific hours.
- Involve Them in the Process: Let your child or teenager have some input on setting tech rules. When they feel heard, they’re more likely to cooperate.
Conclusion: Prioritising Rest for a Successful School Year
As kids transition back to school, managing technology effectively can make all the difference in their sleep quality and overall well-being. By establishing clear guidelines and creating a tech-free bedroom environment, you’re setting your child up for a smoother school year ahead, well rested, emotionally prepared, resilient and focussed.
Or alternatively, we parents could align our thinking with the former CEO of Netflix Reed Hastings, who gave us this shockingly profound and dystopian insight into the tech giants mindset on ‘growth’ (read profit),
‘Our biggest rivals aren’t Amazon, YouTube, or even traditional broadcasters, our need of sleep is actually our main barrier to growth’
Thanks to our good friends at White Hatter for their insights and research into this topic which greatly informed this blog!
Stay safer online!
Wayne
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