Parents Urged to Make Kids’ Bedtime Screen-Free as National Campaign Launches

“Screen-Free Sleep” movement calls for device-free bedrooms to combat America’s youth sleep crisis

In a bold wake-up call to parents everywhere, the team behind the acclaimed Screenagers documentaries and the “Away for the Day” campaign has launched its latest national initiative: Screen-Free Sleep, a movement designed to restore healthy rest to a generation in crisis by keeping kids’ bedrooms device-free at night.

The campaign officially debuted earlier this month in New York City, where it kicked off with a high-visibility flash mob activation. The activation marked the start of a broader mission: empowering parents nationwide to take practical steps to protect their children’s sleep, health and development.

The Crisis at Hand
Sleep loss has become one of the most pressing – yet overlooked – issues facing children and teens today. With screens invading bedtime, kids are sleeping less, struggling more and paying the price with their mood, attention and academic performance.

The Alarming Numbers:

• 1 in 4 tweens sleep with their phone in hand.
• Kids with devices in their bedrooms are 2.3x more likely to feel tired during the day.
• 51% of teens get fewer than 7 hours of sleep most nights.

“Sleep is as essential to a child’s health as nutrition and exercise, but right now, screens are robbing our kids of it,” said Dr. Delaney Ruston, physician, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Screen-Free Sleep campaign. “By making bedrooms device-free at night, parents can help build habits that support rest, regulation, and resilience through the teen years.”

The Solution: A New ‘Seatbelt’ for Families
Screen-Free Sleep encourages parents to adopt three simple nightly practices – likened to “the seatbelt of our time”:

1. Remove all devices – phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, gaming devices, even smart speakers – from bedrooms at night.
2. Provide a basic alarm clock to replace reliance on phone alarms.
3. Store devices overnight in a secure, central location (ideally in a parent’s bedroom).

Why It Matters
Research shows that even the presence of a device in the room disrupts sleep cycles. Recent studies link sleep deprivation in tweens to measurable disruptions in brain development, while adequate sleep supports emotional health, attention, and school performance.

How to Get Involved
Parents are encouraged to:

• Take the pledge at ScreenFreeSleep.org.
• Share the campaign with their communities.
• Distribute simple “iSleep Pro” kits at schools, sports events, and gatherings as a lighthearted, symbolic reminder that real rest starts with screen-free bedrooms.