Experts back keeping kids’ phones out of bedrooms overnight

A Children and Screens Evidence Council voted 8-0 against allowing phones and tablets in children’s bedrooms overnight, saying the devices can disrupt sleep and make nighttime screen use harder to control. The vote underscores growing expert consensus on how device access at night can affect children’s health and development.

Why it matters: - The council’s 8-0 vote signals unusually strong expert agreement on a practical family rule: keep handheld devices out of children’s bedrooms overnight. - The decision centers on sleep, self-control and nighttime exposure to digital content during a period when children are more vulnerable. - Children and Screens said the position is meant to help families, educators, healthcare professionals, journalists and policymakers understand where evidence-based consensus exists.

What happened: - The Children and Screens Evidence Council voted 8-0 against allowing handheld smart devices in children’s bedrooms overnight, with one member abstaining. - No council member voted in favor. - The council said the vote reflects its strongest consensus yet. - The announcement was released Sept. 1, 2026, from New York.

The details: - Council members cited sleep disruption, including delayed bedtime, displaced sleep and interruptions from notifications, alerts and nighttime checking. - Members said adequate sleep is essential for emotional well-being, learning, attention and physical health during childhood and adolescence. - The council said children and adolescents are still developing self-control, while social media, games and other digital experiences are designed to keep users engaged. - Members warned that late-night device access can increase exposure to unhealthy engagement and inappropriate content when young people are tired, impulsive or less inhibited. - The council said putting devices physically outside the bedroom can create healthier boundaries and support better sleep habits. - Dr. Dimitri Christakis said the science is clear that smart devices in bedrooms disrupt sleep, and that as little as 10 minutes of extra sleep can improve mental health and cognitive function in teenagers. - Dr. Lauren Hale said bedroom devices delay, displace and disrupt restorative sleep and can also reduce exposure to unhealthy nighttime screen use. - Dr. Marc Potenza said children typically have immature self-control systems and should have digital devices removed from the bedroom. - One member, Dr. Naomi Baron, abstained and argued that families may have legitimate reasons for allowing some digital use after bedtime. - Baron said blanket rules can overlook differences between children and between uses, such as reading a novel in bed versus doomscrolling. - Baron also said families may be able to negotiate appropriate use based on a child’s maturity, circumstances and purpose of the technology.

Between the lines: - The vote shows consensus on the risk of overnight access, but not on a one-size-fits-all approach to every form of bedtime device use. - The abstention suggests some experts want room for family judgment, even while rejecting unrestricted overnight access to phones and tablets. - Kris Perry, executive director of Children and Screens, tied the issue to broader concerns about platform design and children’s ability to get uninterrupted rest. - Perry also framed the bedroom as a place where families can set a clear boundary around technology.

What’s next: - The council said its position is not a call for laws or specific products. - The evidence statement is meant to inform future discussion about children’s digital habits and sleep health. - The council said individual families may choose limited exceptions, but nighttime device access should not come at the expense of sufficient sleep or healthy development. - Children and Screens said each council position includes the vote outcome, key scientific considerations and individual expert rationales.

The bottom line: - The strongest expert message from this vote is simple: bedrooms should be sleep spaces, not overnight charging stations for phones and tablets. - Read the full report