The kids are finally asleep, and you open the laptop "for ten minutes" to pay a camp fee, answer a few emails, and sort out tomorrow's carpool. An hour later you are in bed, but your mind is still running. Two studies published this month look at which evening activities may keep us switched on.
Mentally demanding screen time stood out
In a study published online October 9 in Sleep Health, researchers surveyed 375 adults in rural Eastern Kentucky, most of them women with an average age of about 46. Participants reported the technology they used in the hour before sleep, and the team scored eight parts of sleep health, from satisfaction and daytime alertness to time spent awake during the night.
After accounting for factors such as mental health symptoms and chronotype, people who less often used a computer for work at bedtime had higher overall sleep health scores. They were also more likely to report good alertness and less time awake after falling asleep. The authors suggest that cognitively engaging technology may matter more than screens in general.
What this study can't tell you
This was a one-time survey, so it shows an association, not proof that the laptop caused poorer sleep. People who work late may also have longer, more stressful days. The sample came from one region, so results may not apply everywhere.
Exciting can be activating, too
A second paper, published October 17 in Sleep Medicine, notes that most pre-sleep measures focus on worry and distress. The researchers built a new questionnaire about activities that excite us at night, grouped as mental, informational, and recreational stimulation, and tested it in more than 450 volunteers across two samples. Scores tracked moderately with an established measure of pre-sleep arousal. It is a measurement tool, not a test of what to do, and the authors say it needs more validation.
Putting it to use tonight
Together, these early findings suggest a useful evening question: is what I'm doing right now winding me down or winding me up?
- If a task can wait until morning, such as bills, school forms, or work email, try moving it earlier or to tomorrow.
- If a tense game or a gripping thriller leaves you buzzing, consider finishing it earlier.
- Fill the last stretch with something calm, like the steps in our wind-down routine for after the kids are in bed.
None of this guarantees better sleep. A comfortable pillow can make bed more inviting, but it will not do the switching off for you. If poor sleep continues, talk with your healthcare provider.
Tonight's takeaway: before bed, the question is not only "screen or no screen?" It is whether the activity is asking your brain to keep working.