wellness
Screen time and sleep: what the research actually shows
Recent studies tie late-night device use directly to shorter, lower-quality rest for adults in Wake County.
How we reported this
A 2025 analysis by the National Institutes of Health found that adults who scroll phones or tablets within one hour of bedtime lose an average of 42 minutes of total sleep time each night.
The finding arrives as Raleigh sees rising reports of fatigue-related clinic visits this summer. Longer daylight hours combined with hybrid work schedules have pushed evening screen exposure higher across the city, according to intake data from local primary-care offices.
Local programs track the trend
Wellness coordinators at the Downtown Raleigh YMCA on Hillsborough Street began offering free evening workshops on light hygiene in March 2026 after members reported trouble falling asleep. Similar sessions run at the North Raleigh Community Center on Six Forks Road, where attendance has doubled since January.
Participants track habits through a simple app provided by Wake County Human Services. The county logged 1,847 device-use logs from residents in the first quarter of 2026, with 68 percent showing screen activity past 10 p.m. on weeknights.
Evidence points to simple fixes
Blue-light exposure after sunset suppresses melatonin production, according to a 2024 review published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews. That same review cited a $12 pair of amber glasses worn for two hours before bed as one intervention that restored an average 27 minutes of sleep in test groups.
City health officials recommend setting device curfews at 9 p.m. and charging phones outside the bedroom. Residents who adopted the rule at the YMCA workshops reported falling asleep 19 minutes faster on average after four weeks. Those steps remain the clearest next action for anyone noticing restless nights.