Longitudinal Between- and Within-Person Associations Among Screen Time, Bedtime, and Daytime Sleepiness Among Adolescents: Three-Wave Prospective Panel Study

TL;DR

This study shows that more screen time leads to later bedtimes and more daytime sleepiness in teens, with a complex, mutual relationship over time.

Contribution

The study is the first to examine bidirectional longitudinal associations between screen time, bedtime, and daytime sleepiness in adolescents using a three-wave panel design.

Findings

Higher screen time is associated with later bedtimes and increased daytime sleepiness.

Increases in screen time predict later bedtimes, which in turn predict more screen time later.

Within-person fluctuations in screen time and bedtime are negatively correlated.

Abstract

Daytime sleepiness is prevalent among adolescents and linked to multiple health and functional impairments. Prior research has identified digital media use and insufficient sleep as key predictors, yet the reciprocal longitudinal associations among screen time, sleep, and daytime sleepiness remain understudied.

This study examined the between- and within-person reciprocal longitudinal associations among adolescents’ screen time, bedtime, and daytime sleepiness. It also tested whether potential adverse effects of screen time were less pronounced over time among adolescents who limited their screen exposure before sleep at baseline.

We conducted a prospective 3-wave panel study at 6-month intervals in a quota-based sample of 2500 Czech adolescents (mean age 13.43, SD 1.70 years; 1250/2500, 50% girls). Data were collected through an online survey. Screen time was assessed with 3 items covering total use of computers, smartphones, tablets, and television on a typical school day; bedtime with a single item on usual bedtime before school days; and daytime sleepiness with 4 items from the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale. Screen time restriction within 1 hour before sleep at baseline was examined as a moderator. Age and sex were included as covariates.

Between- and within-person associations were estimated using random intercept cross-lagged panel models. Adolescents with higher screen time reported later bedtimes (r=0.23, 95% CI 0.15-0.31; P<.001) and greater daytime sleepiness (r=0.25, 95% CI 0.16-0.34; P<.001). No direct within-person effects emerged between screen time and daytime sleepiness (W1→W2: β=.02, 95% CI –0.11 to 0.16; P=.71; W2→W3: β=.02, 95% CI –0.10 to 0.14; P=.66). However, increases in screen time at Wave 1 predicted later bedtime at Wave 2 (β=.14, 95% CI 0.01-0.27; P<.05), which in turn predicted higher screen time at Wave 3 (β=.24, 95% CI 0.11-0.36; P<.001). Temporary within-person spikes in screen time coincided with delayed bedtimes (W1: r=0.16, 95% CI 0.04-0.27; P<.01; W2: r=0.23, 95% CI 0.09-0.36; P<.001; W3: r=0.09, 95% CI 0.00-0.20; P=.049). Baseline screen time restriction did not moderate within-person effects (Δχ26=5.3; P=.51).

This study is the first to test reciprocal longitudinal associations among adolescents’ screen time, bedtime, and daytime sleepiness while separating between- and within-person associations, thereby addressing potential bias common in prior cross-lagged panel studies. The findings refine theoretical understanding by indicating a complex, bidirectional, and mutually reinforcing interplay between screen time and bedtime over time—even when individual differences are accounted for—whereas daytime sleepiness does not appear to be affected by this dynamic. Additionally, negatively correlated, within-person fluctuations in screen time and bedtime indicate that these behaviors are partly mutually exclusive and likely shaped by shared contextual influences. Screen time restriction before sleep did not mitigate within-person effects, indicating that interventions should prioritize consistent sleep schedules rather than focusing solely on reducing screen use.

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