Go to bed at a set time — avoid staying up late for games, short videos, or porn

9. Go to bed at a set time — avoid staying up late for games, short videos, or porn

Cost: No monetary cost. The real challenge is overcoming the habit of “just one more episode.” The easiest solution is to keep phones out of the bedroom.

In plain terms: In 2025, Chinese people slept an average of 6.97 hours per night, with an average bedtime of 12:10 a.m. Those who used phones or tablets before bed were more than twice as likely to get insufficient sleep and 2.7 times more likely to feel drowsy during the day. Even simply having such devices in the bedroom — without using them — produced similar results. Thus, keeping phones out of the bedroom is the simplest way to improve sleep.

Benefit: In 2025, Chinese residents averaged 6.97 hours of nighttime sleep, with an average bedtime of 12:10 a.m. (Chinese Sleep Research Society). Compared to people who did not use portable devices before bed, those who did were 2.17 times more likely to get insufficient sleep (OR 2.17), 1.46 times more likely to suffer poor sleep quality (OR 1.46), and 2.72 times more likely to feel daytime drowsiness (OR 2.72). Even merely having devices in the bedroom without use yielded similar odds: 1.79, 1.53, and 2.27 respectively (OR 1.79/1.53/2.27). These figures come from a combined analysis of 20 concurrent surveys involving 125,198 children and adolescents. Another concurrent study of 844 adults aged 18–94 found that those who used phones after turning off the lights took longer to fall asleep, spent less time actually asleep in bed, and felt more fatigued during the day.

Evidence grade: B

Sources: Carter et al. (2016). Association Between Portable Screen-Based Media Device Access or Use and Sleep Outcomes. JAMA Pediatrics. <https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.2341>; Exelmans & Van den Bulck (2016). Bedtime mobile phone use and sleep in adults. Social Science & Medicine. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.11.037>; Chinese Sleep Research Society (2026). 2026 China Sleep Health Research White Paper (Reprinted by Fujian Provincial Health Commission and reported by Health News). <https://wjw.fujian.gov.cn/jggk/csxx/xcc/mtbd/202603/t20260323_7114382.htm>; Grubbs JB et al. (2018). Pornography Problems Due to Moral Incongruence: An Integrative Model with a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior. <https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1248-x> (One of the disputing parties in the remarks); Prause N, Pfaus J (2015). Viewing Sexual Stimuli Associated with Greater Sexual Responsiveness, Not Erectile Dysfunction. Sexual Medicine. <https://doi.org/10.1002/sm2.58> (The second disputing party in the remarks)

Notes: This recommendation is somewhat controversial. The overall risks of chronic sleep deprivation are covered in section 3 of this chapter (aiming for 7–8 hours of sleep per night). Currently there is no reliable evidence linking porn to reduced energy or cognitive ability in the general population. One meta‑analysis suggests that so‑called “porn problems” often stem from a mismatch between personal beliefs and behavior rather than from the content itself. Another study of 280 men found no correlation between the amount of time spent watching porn and erectile function during sexual activity with a partner. This recommendation specifically addresses how porn consumes sleep time. The figures of 6.97 hours and 12:10 a.m. are taken from a Health News report republished by the Fujian Provincial Health Commission, as no official release from the Chinese Sleep Research Society was found at the time of writing (September 2026).