Late-night scrolling is back in the spotlight for Milwaukee families, and not in a good way. A Fox6 "Healthwatch" segment on May 21 highlighted fresh research and a new federal advisory that say many U.S. teens are sacrificing crucial sleep to smartphones after midnight. UW Health family medicine physician Dr. Robert Freidel joined the station to lay out the risks, noting that missed sleep quickly shows up in slower sports recovery, weaker classroom performance, and touchier moods the next day.
Study Finds Teen Sleep In A Nosedive
A national analysis published in JAMA found that roughly three out of four U.S. high school students reported insufficient sleep in 2023, a jump driven by more teens getting five hours or less on school nights. The authors examined Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 2007 through 2023 and documented a rise in short sleep across demographic and behavioral groups, calling it a broad public health problem.
Federal Advisory Urges Families To Cut Back
On May 20 the Department of Health and Human Services released a surgeon general's advisory warning that excessive screen use can harm children's sleep, learning, and mental health, and rolled out a toolkit for parents and schools. As reported by ABC News, the advisory suggests steps such as delaying exposure to social platforms for very young children and considering nightly device curfews so bedrooms stay device free.
Local Doctor: Phones Are Hitting Recovery And Grades
UW Health family medicine physician Dr. Robert Freidel, known as "Dr. Bob" on the Fox6 segment, told the station that late-night scrolling can shave hours off sleep, blunt physical recovery, and make it tougher for teens to focus in class the next day. His full interview, along with the station's look at the local impact, is available in the Fox6 segment.
Practical Steps Parents Can Try Tonight
Medical groups are pushing simple, home-based fixes: create an age-tailored family media plan, set up a phone charging station outside bedrooms, and stick to a tech-free wind-down before bed. The American Academy of Pediatrics' Family Media Plan offers a framework for household rules and routines, while the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teenagers aim for 8 to 10 hours of sleep to help protect learning and overall health.
Schools, Coaches And System Change
Experts say firm home rules help, but system changes such as later school start times and coordinated messaging from coaches and teachers can move the needle at scale. JAMA and its editorial note called for these kinds of system-level shifts so teens have the time they biologically need to sleep and recover.
For parents in Milwaukee, local pediatricians and school nurses remain an important first stop for tailored advice, and national resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the surgeon general's toolkit can help families build a plan that actually sticks. Small shifts tonight, such as a charging station in the kitchen and a one-hour screen curfew, can make a measurable difference by morning.
