Health · Screens and sleep
Screen Time for Kids by Age: What WHO and AAP Advise
Under 1 year: no screen time. At 1 year: no sitting screen time. Ages 2 to 4: no more than 1 hour a day, and less is better (WHO, 2019). For school-age children the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) no longer gives an hour limit; it asks families to protect sleep, play and family time, and to keep the hour before bed screen-free.
Ghanton se zyada ahem: kya dekh rahe hain, kis ke saath, aur kis cheez ki jagah.
Screen time by age at a glance
| Age | WHO (2019) | AAP | Sleep each day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | Not recommended | Babies under 18 months learn most from real people and play. A video call with family, with a parent explaining, can be fine. | 12–16 hours, with naps (4–12 months) |
| 1 year | Sitting screen time not recommended | Keep it limited, choose good-quality content and watch together. | 11–14 hours, with naps |
| 2–4 years | No more than 1 hour a day; less is better | Good-quality content, watched together. | 11–14 hours at age 2; 10–13 hours at 3–5 |
| 6–12 years | Not covered (the guideline is for under-5s) | No fixed hour limit: protect sleep, activity, homework and family time. | 9–12 hours |
| 13–18 years | Not covered (the guideline is for under-5s) | No fixed hour limit: talk about content and protect sleep. | 8–10 hours |
Sources: WHO 2019 (screen time and sleep under 5), AAP (2024 Q&A for under-2s; 2026 policy for older children), American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2016 (sleep hours).
Why the hour number is not the whole story
In 2026 the AAP published a new policy statement on children and digital media. Instead of one time limit, it asks families to look at what children watch, the setting, and what screen time pushes out: sleep, play, homework and time together. Its guide for families links misuse at school age with unhealthy sleep, poorer school performance and weaker attention control.
So a video call with grandparents, an online Quran class or a school assignment is different from an hour of autoplay videos alone in a bedroom.
Myth: “Only the number of hours matters”
WHO’s hour limits are for the under-5s. For older children the AAP puts content, context and what screens replace at the centre. A phone kept under the pillow at night can cost sleep, whatever the daily limit.
Six house rules that follow the guidance
- A screen-free hour before bed for the whole family (AAP).
- No screens in bedrooms. The AAP names bedrooms and mealtimes as good places to start. Charging phones in the living room at night makes this easier (our suggestion).
- Screen-free meals. Parents first: put your own phone down too.
- Homework with the phone in another room (our suggestion).
- Watch together while children are young, and talk about what you see.
- Write a family media plan. The AAP has a free online tool for it.
Screens and sleep
Sleep is the simplest test of a family’s screen habits. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 9–12 hours for ages 6–12 and 8–10 hours for ages 13–18, and links regular sleep of these lengths with better attention, behaviour, learning and memory. If your child is hard to wake every school day, look at the evening screens first (our suggestion).
When to ask for help
If screens are affecting your child’s sleep, mood, eating or schoolwork and family rules have not helped, talk to your child’s doctor or school counsellor. This guide is general information, not medical advice.
Study time without screens
A fixed homework time with a person, not a device, is easier to keep. If your child needs help with a subject, Qutbnuma introduces checked home tutors in Karachi, and online tutors anywhere in Pakistan. For girls we introduce only female tutors. We are new and our panel is small: we search for a suitable checked teacher for you, and we tell you as soon as we find one. If none fits, we tell you honestly. Use the tutor request form, or WhatsApp 0313-2988345 with the code TIPS-WEB.
Common questions
How much screen time is OK for a 2-year-old?2 saal ke bachay ke liye kitna screen time theek hai?
WHO says no more than 1 hour a day for ages 2 to 4, and less is better. Choose calm, good-quality content and watch with your child.
Do online classes and homework count as screen time?Kya online class aur homework bhi screen time hai?
It is still time on a screen, but the AAP’s current advice looks at content and context, not only minutes. Learning with a teacher is different from scrolling alone. Keep the bedtime and bedroom rules for every kind of screen.
Should my teenager keep the phone in the bedroom at night?Kya teenager raat ko phone kamre mein rakhe?
The AAP suggests bedrooms as screen-free places and a screen-free hour before bed. One charging spot outside the bedrooms makes this easier for the whole family.
Sources
- World Health Organization (24 April 2019). To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more (guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5). WHO news release
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org (3 June 2026). Helping kids thrive in a digital world: AAP policy explained. AAP family guide
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Communications and Media (2026). Digital ecosystems, children, and adolescents: policy statement. Pediatrics, 157(2), e2025075320. Policy statement · AAP news release (20 January 2026)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (updated 1 February 2024). Screen time for infants (Q&A). AAP Q&A
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Family Media Plan (free online tool). AAP Family Media Plan
- Paruthi, S. et al. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785–786. Full text (PDF)
Each source above was opened and checked on 5–6 October 2026. Where a line says “our suggestion”, it is practical advice, not a research finding.
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