Screen time before bed is one of the most common evening battles in family life: one more episode, one more level, five more minutes. This article sets out what two major health organizations actually recommend, offers screen-light ideas for the last hour of the day, and is honest about where an app like ours fits. Ninni is an app, and we're not going to pretend it isn't.
What the guidelines say about screen time before bed
Two sources are worth knowing: the AAP, whose advice covers children of all ages, and the WHO, which focuses on children under 5.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
On its parent site, HealthyChildren.org, the AAP recommends turning off all screens at least 60 minutes before bedtime and keeping screens out of children's bedrooms, especially at night (AAP). The same page notes that children thrive on a regular bedtime routine.
The AAP also offers a free Family Media Plan, an online tool for setting your own family's media rules. Alongside it, the AAP suggests screen-free zones such as the dinner table and the time before bed.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
The WHO's 2019 guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep for children under 5 set these limits for sedentary screen time, such as watching TV or videos (WHO):
| Age | WHO 2019 advice on sedentary screen time |
|---|---|
| Under 1 year | Not recommended |
| 1 year | Not recommended |
| 2 years | No more than 1 hour a day; less is better |
| 3–4 years | No more than 1 hour a day; less is better |
The same guidelines add that when young children are sitting still, "reading and storytelling with a caregiver is encouraged." The WHO guidelines cover children under 5 and don't set a separate rule for the hour before bed; for that, the AAP's 60-minute advice is the clearest guide.
Why the last hour is worth protecting
The AAP frames its advice around sleep. There's a practical side too. Shows autoplay, games have one more level, and switching a screen off is often where the arguments start. If screens go off an hour before bed, that negotiation happens before the routine rather than in the middle of it, and the last part of the evening can stay quiet.
None of this means screens are the enemy. It means the hour before sleep goes to other things.
Screen-light bedtime ideas for the last hour
- Pick a fixed "screens off" time, such as right after dinner, so it isn't decided fresh every night. Charge phones and tablets outside the bedroom.
- Read a paper picture book. One book, agreed in advance.
- Tell a story from memory. Your childhood, a made-up animal, a retelling of a favorite book. Children rarely mind if it wanders.
- Let your child tell the story. Ask them to retell today's book to you, or to a cuddly toy.
- Sing. A lullaby or a family song works at any age; here are some classic lullabies to start with.
- Play a listening game. With the lights low, take turns naming three sounds you can hear. It's the same idea as in What I Looked at and Saw (ages 3–12), where a girl teaches her dog Latte to notice the world through scents and sounds rather than only his eyes.
- Talk about the day. What was the best part? Was anything hard?
- Keep hands busy, quietly. Drawing, a simple puzzle or building blocks earlier in the hour.
For a step-by-step plan, see our guide to the bedtime routine by age.
If you use a story app, keep it parent-led
Plenty of families use apps for stories, and we make one. If you do, a few habits help keep it close to the spirit of the guidance above:
- Use it before the screens-off time, not in bed. Sit together on the sofa after dinner, then put the device away.
- Keep it parent-led. You hold the phone or tablet, you choose the story, and it's one story, not a session.
- Make it listening-first. With a narrated story, your child can listen while you both look at the pictures, and you can pause to talk about what's happening. That's closer to "reading and storytelling with a caregiver" than handing over a device.
- Carry the story into bed without the screen. Ask your child to retell it, or tell it again yourself in the dark.
- Follow the age guidance. The WHO doesn't recommend sedentary screen time for children under 2.
Where Ninni fits, honestly
Ninni is an app of illustrated picture-book stories with real narration by voice artists, plus calm sleep sounds, for iPhone, iPad and Android. It is not screen-free. Stories are for roughly ages 3 to 12, and each one shows its own age range. Short ones such as Sleep Cloud Sleep, a rhyming poem about a cloud that curls up next to the Moon, fit easily into a quiet half hour before screens go off.
Stories are in English and Turkish, and the app itself is in English. The download is free, the first pages of every story are free, and a subscription with a free trial unlocks the library, with prices shown in the app. You can browse all our bedtime stories on this site first.
Frequently asked questions
How long before bed should kids stop screen time?
The AAP recommends turning off all screens at least 60 minutes before bedtime and keeping screens out of children's bedrooms at night. Many families find a fixed screens-off time, such as right after dinner, easier to stick to than a countdown.
Is screen time before bed bad for kids?
The AAP's advice to switch screens off at least an hour before bed is aimed at protecting sleep, and it's a sensible default for most families. Every child is different, though. If your child regularly struggles to fall asleep or seems very tired during the day, talk to your pediatrician.
How much screen time should a 2-year-old have?
The WHO's 2019 guidelines say sedentary screen time for 2-year-olds should be no more than one hour a day, and less is better. For children under 2, the WHO does not recommend sedentary screen time. The AAP Family Media Plan can help you set limits that suit your family.
Are audio stories okay at bedtime?
The AAP and WHO advice quoted here doesn't single out audio-only listening. Because the AAP recommends keeping screens out of children's bedrooms at night, the simplest approach is to do any app listening before your screens-off time and keep the in-bed story device-free.
Is Ninni screen-free?
No. Ninni is an app for iPhone, iPad and Android, so it runs on a screen. We suggest using it together, parent-led and listening-first, before your screens-off time, and finishing the evening with a story you tell or a song you sing.
