How evening screen light and content affect kids’ sleep and daytime functioning
Official title: Experimental effects of light and content from evening screen media use on children's sleep, executive functioning, and emotion regulation
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11392211 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with 8- to 11-year-old children will test how watching screens at night and the type of content they see influence sleep quality and next-day thinking and emotion skills.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $591,325 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD112349-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392211 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children aged 8-11 without major sleep disorders or significant developmental or psychiatric conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Children with certain sleep disorders or medical conditions affecting sleep may not experience the studied effects in the same way.
What this research studies
This project will enroll about 200 school-aged children to examine whether light from screens and arousing content before bedtime changes sleep timing and quality. Researchers will measure sleep using wearable devices and track next-day emotion regulation and executive function. The study uses controlled exposures in a family-friendly setting to isolate the effects of screen light and content on children’s sleep and daytime behavior. Parents and children will complete brief questionnaires and sleep diaries to capture nightly patterns and daytime outcomes. The results could inform practical guidelines for families and pediatric care about screen use and bedtime routines.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to clearer guidance on how screen time before bed affects kids and help families optimize sleep and daytime functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests a link between screen exposure and sleep, but this study aims to establish causal effects with a larger sample and controlled conditions.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Moreno, Jennette P — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Moreno, Jennette P
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.