Tablets before bed may disrupt kids' sleep, study finds
NCT ID NCT05820555
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at how using a tablet in the evening affects young children's sleep and thinking skills. Researchers compared kids who used a tablet before bed with those who had no screen time. They measured changes in sleep timing, melatonin levels, and executive function. The goal is to understand if screen time near bedtime is harmful for preschoolers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- timed evening tablet use
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help families understand how screen time before bed affects children's sleep and thinking skills.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with 170 children. Results may not apply to all kids or different devices. It only looks at short-term effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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170 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2023
- Finished
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May 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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48 to 59 months
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * preschool-aged children (4.0 to \<5.0 years old) and their parent * living in the Greater Houston area. * parent must be a biological parent or legal guardian who lives with the child ≥50% of the time and has a primary role of caring for the child * parent is comfortable participating in the study and responding to questionnaires in English. * The child does not have to have access to mobile device, but if they do, the primary device they use has to be an Android OS ≥5.0 either used only by the study child or shared with others, or an Apple iOS ≥14.0 that only the child uses. * Parent and child must be fluent in English. Exclusion Criteria: * The child has a chronic medical condition or takes a medication affecting sleep, or circadian rhythms (e.g., melatonin supplementation, diagnosed sleep disorder, steroid use, etc.) or a diagnosed cognitive or learning impairment affecting EF (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). * Child with blindness or significant vision problems that impacts both screen media use and sleep.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Nutrition Research Center
Houston, Texas, 77030, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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