Teenagers who keep phones out of the bedroom sleep longer, local study finds

Teenagers who left their phones outside the bedroom at night slept for longer and reported feeling less tired at school, according to a small study by researchers at the University of Wrenhaven. The six-week project involved 312 pupils aged 13 to 16 at four secondary schools in the city and the Asher Valley.

For the first three weeks the pupils kept a sleep diary and wore a simple wrist tracker. For the second three weeks, about half of them agreed with their families to charge their phones in another room from 9.30pm. That group slept, on average, around 40 minutes longer on school nights than before, while the sleep of pupils who did not change their routine stayed broadly the same.

Small study, careful conclusions

Lead researcher Dr Imran Castellane, a lecturer in psychology, said the results were encouraging but should be treated with caution. "Families chose whether to take part in the phone-free part of the study, so they may have been more motivated to make changes in other ways too," he said. "We need a larger trial before we can say how big the effect really is."

The most common thing pupils told us was that they did not realise how often they checked their phone until it was not there.

Pupils in the phone-free group also reported falling asleep more quickly and feeling more alert in morning lessons. Several said they had bought a cheap alarm clock so they no longer needed their phone to wake up. Some found the first few nights difficult, and a small number dropped out of that part of the study.

The researchers have shared their findings with the schools involved, and one, Bramley Cross Academy, plans to include advice on sleep in its tutor-group sessions this year. Headteacher Marion Keane said the school was not telling families what to do, but wanted to give them information.

Dr Castellane said parents could try simple steps such as agreeing a time when screens go off and keeping chargers out of bedrooms. Families who are worried about a young person's sleep, mood or energy levels should speak to their GP, he added.