Do you spend 1 hour on your phone before bed? Here's how much that increases your risk of insomnia

The French spend an average of 5 hours a day in front of screens, some of which is before going to sleep, which is not without impact on their health.

Spending time on your phone in bed is a common habit that may seem harmless. But it can have significant consequences for sleep, and more generally, for health. Numerous studies, mostly on adolescents and young adults, have shown that screens have a harmful impact on sleep. And experts generally recommend avoiding screen use for 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed.

There are several reasons for this phenomenon: screen brightness disrupts circadian rhythms and sleep-related hormones, screen use—especially social media—keeps us awake, and screen time simply replaces time that could be spent sleeping.

Norwegian researchers recently studied the effects of screen time on 45,000 young adults aged 18 to 28 in Norway. They first observed that the type of screen activity—social media, gaming, podcasts, etc.—ultimately had little impact. "We did not find significant differences between social media and other screen activities, suggesting that screen use itself is the key factor in sleep disruption," explained Dr. Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland, lead author of the study, in a press release. What matters is the time spent on screens.

Indeed, the study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry on March 31, 2025, concluded that each additional hour spent on a screen before sleeping increased the risk of suffering from insomnia symptoms by 59%, and reduced sleep time by 24 minutes. Precious minutes when we know that the French sleep on average less than the 7 hours recommended during the week according to Inserm .

In France, a 2023 survey conducted by INSEE revealed that reduced sleep time is the main negative effect caused by screens. 43% of 20-29 year-olds say they reduce their sleep time at least once a week because of screens. To limit this impact, it is recommended to establish a screen-free routine before bed, remove notifications during the night, and favor night mode in the evening. Sleep disorders affect 15 to 20% of French people, and they can have serious consequences for both physical and mental health.