Should my child's phone stay out of the bedroom at night?

For most children, yes: the simplest bedtime phone rule is that phones, tablets and consoles charge overnight outside the bedroom. Common Sense Media, the family media charity, recommends keeping phones out of the bedroom or sleeping area at night and switching screens off at least an hour before bed (Common Sense Media). Ireland’s online safety charity CyberSafeKids makes the same point: its chief executive, Alex Cooney, says boundaries should start with switching off at night (Irish Examiner).

If your child’s phone currently lives beside their pillow, you’re not doing anything unusual. Here’s how to change it calmly.

Why the bedroom is the place to start

It’s not that phones are uniquely bad. It’s that night-time is when they get in the way of something kids really need: sleep.

Common Sense Media points out that using screens before bed makes it harder to fall asleep, and that the light from screens at night can interrupt natural sleep rhythms. Then there are the interruptions. Speaking to RTÉ, Alex Cooney of CyberSafeKids described the problem as constant notifications, interruptions and the temptation to be on them (RTÉ).

Interestingly, teens themselves often agree. Common Sense Media says teens report that putting the phone in another room overnight is the best way to help them resist using it. Many children find it a relief not to have to make that decision at midnight.

You’re far from the only family dealing with this

CyberSafeKids’ research, reported in October 2025, found that 83% of primary school children aged 8 to 12 had internet-connected devices in their bedrooms, and 63% were allowed to keep them overnight (Irish Examiner). The same research found that 24% of the children said they find it hard to switch off.

So if you’re about to bring in a new rule, it’s worth knowing your child probably has friends with the same rule, and plenty who’d quietly like one.

How to agree the rule without a battle

A rule your child has helped shape is much more likely to stick than one announced at bedtime. A few things that help:

1. Pick a calm moment. Raise it at the weekend or over dinner, not when you’re trying to get the phone off them at 10pm.
2. Explain the why. Keep it about sleep, tiredness and feeling better in the morning, not about punishment or trust.
3. Agree the details together. What time do devices go to the charging spot? Where is that spot? Does it change at the weekend or in the holidays?
4. Make it a family rule. Common Sense Media suggests parents model the habits they want to see. If your phone charges in the kitchen too, it’s a lot harder to argue with.
5. Write it down. Our family screen time agreement guide has a simple way to do this.
6. Expect some testing. The first week or two is the hardest. Stay friendly and consistent, and it usually settles.

Every family is different. A 15-year-old who has always had their phone at night may need a gentler step first, like phones on the landing from a certain time on school nights, before moving to the full rule.

“But I need it for my alarm” (and other good questions)

These come up in nearly every house:

• The alarm: a cheap alarm clock solves this neatly.
• Music or sounds to fall asleep: Common Sense Media suggests a white noise machine, or if the phone stays, turning off notifications and using Do Not Disturb so its only job is playing sound.
• “What if someone needs me?”: the settings below can keep calls from you working even during the overnight block.
• Homework on the phone: agree a cut-off time for schoolwork, so it’s finished before devices go to charge.

The settings that back the rule up

Settings are a helpful backstop, not a replacement for the conversation. Menus change between versions, so check the linked page if something looks different.

iPhone and iPad (Screen Time Schedule)

Apple’s current guide covers iOS and iPadOS 27 or later, and calls this a Screen Time Schedule (Apple). You set it up from your own device if your child is in your Family Sharing group:

1. Open Settings, tap Family, then tap your child’s name.
2. Tap Screen Time Schedule, then turn on Schedule.
3. Tap Add Schedule and choose the days.
4. Tap Add Time Window, give it a name such as “Night”, set the times, and choose which app categories (if any) are allowed.

Apple notes that Always Allowed contacts and apps keep working whatever schedule you’ve set, so your child can still reach you. Apple also says every device in your family needs to be on version 27 or later to use this. If your child’s device is on an older version, Apple’s main Screen Time page links to the older guide.

Android phones (Downtime in Family Link)

Google’s Family Link app calls this Downtime, and it works on Android 7 and up (Google):

1. Open the Family Link app and select your child at the top left.
2. Tap Screen time, then Schedules.
3. Turn on Downtime.
4. Under Downtime, tap Weekly schedule, choose the days and the start and end times, then tap Done.

Google says calls are always available during Downtime. If you want your child to be able to text you, the messaging app needs to be set as an unlimited app. For a one-off change, such as a late night at the weekend, you can tap Downtime then Tonight.

What to do next

• Choose a charging spot this week. The kitchen or the landing works well. Put a multi-plug or charging station there so it’s easy for everyone, including you.
• Have the five-minute chat at a calm time, agree the cut-off time together, and decide what happens at weekends.
• Sort the alarm question before it comes up: a basic alarm clock, or Do Not Disturb if the phone stays for music.
• Set up the schedule on your child’s iPhone or Android as a backstop, using the steps above, and check that your number still gets through.

It won’t be perfect every night, and that’s fine. A rule that holds most school nights still makes a real difference to how rested everyone feels.