USE OF SCREENS AND SLEEP QUALITY IN CHILDREN: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This integrative literature review aimed to analyze the available evidence on the relationship between screen use and sleep quality in children and adolescents. A search was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Virtual Health Library, and SciELO databases, considering publications from January 2016 to October 2026 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. The guiding question was structured according to the PICO strategy, considering children and adolescents as the population, screen use as the exposure, lower exposure or no exposure as the comparison, and sleep-related parameters as the outcomes. Ten studies considered central to the synthesis were selected, encompassing different study designs and age groups. The analyzed studies frequently demonstrated an association between greater screen exposure and unfavorable changes in sleep patterns, particularly reduced sleep duration. Associations with poorer sleep quality, longer sleep onset latency, difficulties initiating or maintaining sleep, and daytime sleepiness were also reported. Device use during the period intended for sleep and the presence of devices in the sleeping environment were also associated with less favorable sleep outcomes. However, some studies demonstrated small effects when total screen time was analyzed in isolation, highlighting heterogeneity among the findings. It is concluded that the analyzed literature suggests an association between screen exposure and changes in sleep patterns among the pediatric population, particularly regarding sleep duration and nighttime device use. However, methodological heterogeneity and the predominance of observational studies limit causal interpretation, indicating that not only the duration of exposure but also the timing and context of device use should be considered.