“Impacto del uso de dispositivos electrónicos en la calidad del sueño en adolescentes: Revisión sistemática de la literatura.”

Abstract

The use of electronic devices during adolescence has raised concern about their potential impact on sleep quality, especially given the extensive screen time during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to systematically analyze the scientific evidence published between 2019 and 2025 on the relationship between electronic device use and sleep quality in adolescents, incorporating the type of activity performed on the devices as a novel dimension. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA recommendations, through searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Springer and ERIC, including empirical studies with populations aged 10 to 19 years that assessed sleep variables and device use. Of 603 initial records, 25 studies were included in the narrative synthesis after screening and quality assessment. The evidence converges in showing that greater screen exposure, especially smartphone use in the evening hours and before bedtime, is consistently associated with shorter total sleep duration, later sleep onset, midpoint displacement and greater fragmentation, along with increased daytime sleepiness and poorer subjective sleep quality, with interactive activities performed in bed or after nocturnal awakenings being particularly harmful. The evidence supports that intensive and nocturnal use of electronic devices constitutes a risk factor for poorer sleep quality in adolescents. The main mechanism appears to be mediated by phase delay and the reduction of sleep duration and continuity rather than by light exposure alone.