During the school summer holidays, with less urgency for alarms to be set, for many children sleep routines can slip, with searches for ‘child won’t sleep’ rising by +70% over the past 30 days [1]. To delve further into the sleep habits of children during the summer break, the experts at MattressNextDay commissioned their new Child Sleep Survey Reports with four in five (83%) parents reporting conflicts with their children about bedtimes during the school holidays [2].

A staggering 82% of UK parents say they’re concerned about their child’s sleep habits during the summer, according to the survey. Increased screen time tops the list of sleep-related worries, with nearly half (47%) of parents anxious about their children’s device use. This concern is supported by a recent study finding that for every hour spent on a touchscreen before bed, participants lost an average of 24 minutes of sleep [3].

As 41% of parents admit they find it difficult to set and enforce screen time limits, Senior Sleep Expert at MatttressNextDay, Martin Seeley has shared some insight on peacefully teaching and setting clear limits around screen time during the summer holidays.

Over half (53%) of parents say they worry about their child’s screen time increasing over the summer holidays, as 47% cite screen time as the biggest sleep disruption

Despite children getting 15% more sleep during the school holidays, four in five parents (82%) still worry about their child’s sleep routine, suggesting that more time in bed doesn’t always mean better rest. So, what’s really keeping kids up at night?

What are the biggest factors disrupting your child’s sleep?

%

Excessive screen use

47%

Noise/light in the environment

32%

Lack of consistent routine

29%

Social media or messages

28%

Late-night snacks

24%

Bedtime anxiety or worries about school

20%

Bedtime anxiety or worries about friends

16%

Naturally, some sleep disruptors like increased light and noise during the summer are difficult to avoid. However, the data shows that screen time and social media may be having a much greater impact on children’s sleep overall. Screens are an inescapable part of modern life, and their pull only grows stronger over the long summer break.

Nearly half of parents (47%) report that excessive screen use is disrupting their child’s sleep, making it the most common concern, and for 53% of parents they are worried about increased screen time during the summer holidays. According to further data from the study, a shocking 92% of UK children are looking at a screen before they go to bed, which may be perpetuating problems such as inconsistent bedtime routines and stirring anxieties around friends and school right before sleep, leading to difficulties falling asleep and later nights as a result.

Over a third (35%) of parents noticed improved school performance when limiting screen time

With screens having the biggest reported impact on children’s sleep, it’s no surprise that 86% of parents say they’ve tried to set screen time limits. But enforcing those boundaries isn’t always easy, three in ten (30%) admit they struggle to make the rules stick. Unsurprisingly, this has led to tension at home, with 83% of parents reporting conflicts with their children around bedtime.

The link between screen time before bed and poor sleep is well established. Recent research from Norway found that using screens before sleep increases the risk of insomnia by 59% and reduces sleep duration by an average of 15 minutes for every hour of screen use.