A Blog For Mums
If you’ve ever gone to bed planning an early night and then found yourself still scrolling at 1am, you’ll know how easy it is to lose hours to a phone. Now imagine being a child or teenager with a developing brain, no real sense of time, and all their friends online at the same time. It’s no wonder so many kids are struggling with sleep, concentration, and even anxiety.
That’s why more and more parents are drawing the line at bedtime and keeping phones out of kids’ bedrooms at night. It might feel like a battle at first, but the benefits are worth it—for your child and for the whole household.
Children and teens need more sleep than adults—between 9 and 11 hours depending on their age. Yet phones are one of the biggest sleep thieves.
There are two main reasons. First, the blue light from screens tells the brain it’s still daytime, which delays the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps us drift off. Second, the content itself is designed to be addictive. Scrolling, chatting, gaming—it all keeps the brain buzzing at the exact moment it should be winding down.
It’s not just about nodding off, either. Notifications through the night can jolt them awake, fragmenting the sleep they do get. Even if they claim they’re just using their phone as an alarm, chances are they’re sneaking a look when it pings. A phone-free bedroom removes the temptation and gives kids a fighting chance at a proper night’s rest.
Phones aren’t only a sleep issue. Having them in the bedroom opens up a constant channel of communication. Messages from friends, group chats, and even strangers don’t stop just because it’s bedtime.
For younger children, that can mean overstimulation. For teens, it can mean a whole new layer of pressure. Nobody wants their child lying awake worrying about who left them on “read” at midnight. By setting the boundary of “no phones overnight,” you’re giving them a break from social dynamics they may not yet have the tools to manage.
Think of it as protecting their mental space. Just like you wouldn’t invite the entire class into their bedroom at night, you don’t want their phones doing it either.
Unsupervised late-night phone use can also lead to riskier behaviour. Whether that’s watching inappropriate content, chatting with strangers, or simply sharing too much online, it’s all easier to do when parents are asleep and the house is quiet.
Keeping devices in a shared space overnight makes things safer without heavy-handed monitoring. It’s not about spying or mistrust—it’s about creating a structure that naturally reduces opportunities for poor decisions.
Kids and teens may not appreciate it now, but it’s one of those rules that protects them in the long run.
Here’s the tricky part: kids notice what we do far more than what we say. If you’re telling them phones aren’t allowed in their bedrooms but scrolling in yours until 2am, they’re not going to see the rule as fair.
That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, but it does mean being mindful. A whole-family approach works best. You could introduce a “charging station” in the kitchen or living room where everyone’s devices go at a set time. That way it feels less like a punishment and more like a shared healthy habit.
And if you’re secretly relieved to break your own late-night scrolling cycle? Even better. Kids love pointing out when we’re being hypocrites—so give them less ammunition.
Of course, knowing it’s the right thing to do and actually enforcing it are two very different beasts. Children, especially teenagers, won’t give up their phones at bedtime without a fight.
Here are some gentle ways to make the transition smoother:
One of the best ways to frame this rule is not as a restriction but as a form of freedom. Phones are designed to be addictive, and adults with fully developed brains struggle to regulate them. By removing the phone at night, you’re taking away the responsibility of having to resist temptation.
It’s like taking sweets out of a child’s lunchbox and offering them fruit instead. Sure, they’ll grumble at first, but deep down they’ll sleep better, wake up fresher, and feel more in control. Over time, most kids adapt surprisingly well, especially when they see the benefits for themselves.
A consistent bedtime without phones can improve:
The earlier you establish the habit, the easier it becomes. Younger children accept it more readily, and older teens eventually see it as part of the family culture rather than a random crackdown.
Finally, it’s worth saying this: kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from phone-free bedrooms. Most adults would sleep better without their phones buzzing at their bedside. By setting this boundary for your children, you may end up improving your own wellbeing as well.
So the next time you’re tempted to cave because your child swears they can’t possibly sleep without their phone, remember that you’re doing them a favour. Phones don’t belong in kids’ bedrooms at night—for their sleep, their safety, their sanity, and maybe even yours.
Parenthood Sleep
