screen time and sleep: what the research actually shows

A June 2026 study by the University of Sydney’s Sleep Research Centre found that participants who used phones or tablets within 60 minutes of bedtime lost an average of 42 minutes of total sleep time compared with those who switched off earlier.

The timing of these findings matters because Sydney’s hybrid work patterns have pushed more screen exposure into the late evening, with many residents in eastern suburbs logging extra hours on laptops after dinner to catch up on emails.

At Bondi Beach the local Bondi Wellness Centre now runs device-free evening yoga sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 7pm, while the Centennial Parklands Trust offers guided sunset walks every Wednesday that end with a strict no-phone rule for the final kilometre.

Evidence from recent studies

The same University of Sydney team tracked 1,240 adults across greater Sydney and recorded that 68 percent of those averaging more than three hours of screen time after 8pm reported frequent difficulty falling asleep, a figure drawn from wrist-actigraphy data collected between March and May this year.

Participants who replaced scrolling with printed books or dimmed reading lamps saw melatonin onset advance by 34 minutes on average, according to blood-saliva samples taken at their homes in Surry Hills and Paddington.

Practical steps for residents

Clinics at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital sleep unit recommend setting a 9pm device curfew and activating night-shift filters at least two hours before bed, moves that cost nothing and produced measurable gains in the same trial group.

Locals who joined the parklands’ morning programs reported falling asleep 27 minutes faster after two weeks of consistent attendance, with sessions priced at $12 for non-members and held on the central lawns near the duck pond.

Anyone experiencing ongoing sleep trouble should book a check-up with a GP in their suburb before trying further changes.