TL;DR
Screens before bed trick kids’ brains into thinking it’s daytime, making it harder for them to fall asleep. Cutting screen time an hour before bedtime and swapping it for calming music, lullabies, or story time makes a huge difference. Research shows these simple swaps work. Some parents also lean on tools like Lullabear to keep a consistent, soothing bedtime soundtrack—and say it helps make nights smoother.
Quick Summary
- Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, delaying sleep.
- Studies show screen-free evenings improve sleep in toddlers and older kids.
- Music and lullabies calm babies, improve mood, and stabilize vital signs.
- A repeatable bedtime routine is the biggest signal to the brain that it’s time for sleep.
- Many parents use calming sound devices like Lullabear to keep bedtime stress-free.
Why Screens and Sleep Don’t Mix
You know the drill: it’s late, your little one is yawning, but the TV is still on or a tablet is glowing nearby. It feels harmless… but research says otherwise.
Screens give off blue light that suppresses melatonin, the hormone that tells the body it’s time to sleep. The Sleep Foundation explains that this tricks the brain into staying alert when it should be winding down.
A 2024 review pulled together dozens of studies and found the same thing again and again: more screen time equals less sleep and lower quality rest for kids (read here). Another trial with toddlers showed that just swapping out screens for quiet activities in the hour before bed made kids fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer (JAMA Pediatrics).
Older kids aren’t immune either. Researchers at Penn State found every extra hour of screen time delayed bedtime by around 10 minutes (Penn State News). And in Norway, kids who used screens right before bed slept 24 minutes less and had a much higher chance of insomnia symptoms (Healthline).
So if bedtime has been a battle in your house, the glowing rectangles might be part of the problem.
Music to the Rescue
Here’s the good news: what keeps kids awake (screens) has a natural opposite—music and lullabies. Instead of stimulating the brain, they slow it down.
Studies show lullabies lower babies’ breathing rate and keep oxygen levels steady (PubMed). Parents singing or playing soft music also improves babies’ mood and reduces stress, which makes it easier for them to drift off (Yale Medicine). UNICEF even recommends music as part of bedtime routines because it creates a calm, sleep-friendly atmosphere (UNICEF).
In other words: bedtime isn’t just about what you cut out (screens). It’s about what you replace it with.
Five Easy Wins for Tonight
- Turn screens off an hour before bed.
- Lower the lights and keep the room calm.
- Repeat the same pre-bed ritual every night (book, cuddle, song).
- Start lullabies or calming sounds about 30 minutes before sleep.
- Let the sound taper off gently instead of stopping suddenly.
What Other Parents Are Trying
When you talk to parents who’ve finally cracked bedtime, a common theme comes up: sound. Some put on playlists. Others sing. And quite a few mention using sound machines or tools like Lullabear to keep things consistent. Instead of fighting over screen time, they press play on a lullaby or ambient track and let the calm set in.
The point isn’t that one product is the magic fix—it’s that parents who swap screens for soothing sound tend to see bedtime battles shrink.
Takeaway
Screens wake kids up. Music and routine calm them down. Build a screen-free, sound-filled bedtime and you’ll likely notice your little one nodding off faster. And if you’re looking for ideas, other parents swear by keeping a steady soundtrack—whether that’s your own voice, a playlist, or something like Lullabear.