Screen time, caffeine and irregular bedtimes: survey finds almost half of Australian kids have sleep problems

Natasha May Health reporter

Feb. 11, 2025, 2 p.m.

Among those aged five to 12, 45% had trouble with sleep patterns compared with 37% of those between 13 and 17

More than one in four school-age children in Australia use screens in bed in the hour before sleep and one in 10 have caffeine after lunchtime most days of the week, a new survey looking at sleep habits has found.

The findings, released on Wednesday by researchers at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, analysed the answers of a nationally representative sample of 1,654 parents who were asked about the sleeping habits and behaviours of their children, aged between five and 17.

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