Can Screen Time Cause Headaches and Migraines?

The short version: Yes, screens can bring on headaches, mostly through what long sessions do to the body: eye strain and dry eyes, a neck bent forward for hours, glare and bright light, and lost sleep. Headaches are one of the listed symptoms of digital eye strain, and the American Migraine Foundation names long periods of staring at a screen as a possible migraine trigger. Studies link heavy screen use with more migraine in young adults and more headaches in some teens, though they cannot prove the screen is the cause. Regular breaks, a better screen setup, and screens off well before bed help most people.

You know the one. It starts behind the eyes around three in the afternoon, after a morning of email and a lunch eaten at the desk. By five it has crept round to the back of the head, and the screen looks too bright, and you are still squinting at it.

We get these too, usually on the days we were proudest of how much we got done. So this guide looks at why screens and headaches turn up together, what the research says about migraine in particular, and what helps.

Can screen time cause headaches?

It can contribute to them. The American Optometric Association lists headaches as one of the main symptoms of computer vision syndrome, alongside eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain. It says the risk is greatest for people who spend two or more continuous hours a day on a computer or other screen.

The NHS takes the same view in its general advice on headaches. Among the things to avoid, it lists straining your eyes for long periods, such as by looking at a screen. Its list of common causes includes bad posture, eyesight problems, stress, skipped meals, and not drinking enough. A day glued to a screen can tick most of those at once.

In practice, a long screen session sets up the conditions for a headache: tired eyes, a stiff neck, no water, no lunch, and a bedtime that slid.

Can screen time cause migraines?

For people who get migraines, screens can be one of the things that set an attack off. The American Migraine Foundation's page on ocular migraine says harsh lights and electronic screens can be triggers, and names straining your eyes by staring at a screen for long periods as something that can raise the risk of an attack.

Light sensitivity is part of the picture. The AMF's guide to a migraine-friendly workspace says light sensitivity is a very common symptom of migraine, that screen use can make it worse, and that a bright screen in a dimly lit room may add to the problem.

Migraine triggers are personal, though. A screen that sets off one person's attack may do nothing to the next person's. A headache diary, noting screen time alongside sleep, meals, and stress, is the most reliable way to find out whether screens are one of yours.

What the research says

The studies are mostly snapshots, which means they can show that screens and headaches go together but cannot show which causes which. Two are worth knowing.

Young adults and migraine. In a 2016 study in Cephalalgia, Ilaria Montagni and colleagues surveyed 4,927 French university students, average age about 21, about their time on computers, tablets, phones, and TV. Students in the top fifth for screen time had 37% higher odds of reporting migraine than students with low screen time and no headaches. The link was stronger for migraine without aura. There was no clear link with other, non-migraine headaches.

Children and teens. A 2024 umbrella review from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health pulled together the existing reviews on screens and physical health in people up to 19. It found a possible link between screen time and headaches in 11 to 19 year olds, seen in boys and in boys and girls combined, but not in girls alone. The authors rated the certainty of that evidence as low, and called for better long-term studies.

So the research points the same way as common experience, more screen time going with more headaches, without settling the question of cause.

Why screens can bring on a headache

Your eyes are working hard and drying out

Looking at something close for a long time keeps the focusing muscles of the eye busy. Screens also make us blink less: the American Academy of Ophthalmology says we blink only about 5 to 7 times a minute while using screens, against about 15 normally. Our guide on whether screen time is bad for your eyes goes into this in more detail. Tired, dry eyes and a headache often arrive together.

An out-of-date glasses prescription makes it worse, because the eyes work harder still. The AOA names uncorrected vision problems as a common cause of screen-related symptoms.

Your neck is holding your head forward

The AMF's article on posture and migraine says poor posture and long periods of inactivity can contribute to more frequent migraine. Hunching over a laptop on the sofa, or looking down at a phone for an hour, puts that strain on the neck and shoulders. Mayo Clinic's page on tension headache says the exact cause is not known, and that stress is the most commonly reported trigger. Long, tense screen days often come with both.

The light is wrong for the room

A bright screen in a dark room, glare from a window, or harsh overhead lights all make the eyes work harder. For people with migraine, the light itself can be part of the problem, as the AMF notes above.

Sleep is getting squeezed

Mayo Clinic's page on migraine lists changes in sleep among the things that can set off an attack, and the AMF's guide to lifestyle changes for migraine says a consistent sleep schedule can help manage it. It suggests avoiding electronics in the two hours before bedtime. Late scrolling tends to push bedtime later and cut sleep short, which can set up tomorrow's headache tonight.

Everything else gets skipped

When the screen holds us, we forget the water bottle and work through lunch. The NHS lists dehydration and irregular meals among common headache causes, and the AMF suggests keeping a water bottle in plain sight on your desk.

How to prevent headaches from screen time

These steps come from the AOA, the AAO, the AMF, and the NHS. Try a few for a week or two and see what changes.

  1. Take regular breaks. The AOA's 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. After two hours of continuous screen use, the AOA suggests resting your eyes for 15 minutes.
  2. Get up as well as look away. The AMF suggests timed breaks to stretch, walk, or stand.
  3. Fix the screen position. The AMF suggests keeping a computer screen about 20 to 28 inches in front of your face and slightly below eye level. Bring phones and tablets up toward eye level, with a stand if you have one, instead of bending your neck down to them.
  4. Sit at a table. The AMF recommends a desk or table and a chair over working from bed or the couch.
  5. Balance the light. Add a lamp so the screen is not the brightest thing in the room, turn screen brightness down to match, and move the screen so windows and overhead lights do not reflect off it.
  6. Blink, and use artificial tears if your eyes feel dry. The AAO suggests artificial tears for dryness.
  7. Drink water and eat regular meals. Both appear on the NHS list of common headache causes when they slip.
  8. Put screens away one to two hours before bed. The AMF's lifestyle guide suggests two hours for adults, and its school-year tips for children with migraine give the same one to two hour window for kids.
  9. Have your eyes checked. Especially if headaches come with blurry vision, or if a child has started squinting at the board or the TV.

What about blue light glasses and warm screen filters? The AMF says people with migraine may find warmer screen colors or blue light blocking glasses helpful, while noting there is not strong evidence for them. For eye strain specifically, a 2023 Cochrane review found blue light filtering lenses may not reduce it. The Cochrane authors found side effects were mild and temporary, so they are fine to try once the breaks and the screen setup are sorted.

Screen time and headaches in children

Children get screen headaches too, and they are less likely to connect the two. A child who comes home from a day of tablet lessons, then plays games until dinner, may only say their head hurts.

The AMF's tips for children with migraine say extended screen use can cause eye discomfort, blurry vision, and tired eyes, that dry eye is likely a big part of it, and that sitting in front of a screen can lead to poor posture and neck pain. Its practical ideas are simple: a sticky note by the screen as a reminder to blink and look at something farther away, scheduled breaks to stretch, and screens off one to two hours before bed.

If your child's headaches seem tied to screens, keeping their total in a healthy range for their age helps too. Our screen time by age guide has the AAP's guidance for each age, and the guide to reducing screen time without battles covers how to make changes stick at home.

When to see a doctor about headaches

Most screen headaches are the ordinary kind that fade with rest. The NHS advises seeing a GP if headaches keep coming back, if they get worse, or if painkillers and self-care are not helping.

It says to get urgent help, from an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 in the UK, or your own doctor or urgent care elsewhere, if:

  • you or a child has a headache with vision or eye problems
  • a headache is triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down, or exercise
  • a headache comes with vomiting
  • a child's headache is getting worse or wakes them at night

The NHS says to call emergency services for a sudden, extremely painful headache, or for a headache with numbness or weakness, trouble speaking, confusion, a seizure, loss of vision, or a high temperature with a stiff neck.

Where Unglue fits

Most of this advice comes down to stopping more often and stopping earlier. That is the hard part, because the screen rarely offers a natural place to stop.

Unglue keeps the apps you choose blocked until you earn minutes with something real, like a short walk or a glass of water. On iPhone it works through Apple's Screen Time framework. A walk to unlock your feed is a break for your eyes and your neck, and the glass of water helps with the dehydration headache too. We are aware that an app telling you to look away from your phone is a little funny.

If your evenings are the problem, our guide to blocking apps for certain hours shows how to make the phone quieter before bed, and how much screen time is too much has the numbers by age.

Common questions

Can screen time cause headaches?

Yes, it can contribute. Headaches are a recognised symptom of digital eye strain, which the American Optometric Association links to two or more continuous hours of screen use a day. Posture, glare, dehydration, and lost sleep from late-night use can all add to it.

Can screen time cause migraines?

For people who get migraines, long periods of staring at a screen and harsh light can be triggers, according to the American Migraine Foundation. A study of nearly 5,000 French students found those with the most screen time had 37% higher odds of migraine. The study could not show that screens caused the migraines.

What does a screen headache feel like?

A headache from eye strain usually comes with the other signs the AOA lists: tired, dry, or blurry eyes, and often a sore neck and shoulders. Mayo Clinic describes migraine differently, as an intense throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head, that can come with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

How do I stop getting headaches from my computer?

Take regular breaks with the 20-20-20 rule, place the screen about an arm's length away and slightly below eye level, cut glare, drink water, and get your eyes tested if you have not recently. If headaches keep coming back despite these changes, see a doctor.

Do blue light glasses help with screen headaches?

There is little evidence that they do. A 2023 Cochrane review found blue light filtering lenses may not reduce short-term eye strain from computer work. The American Migraine Foundation says people with migraine may find them or warmer screen settings helpful, while noting the evidence is not strong.

Can too much screen time cause headaches in kids?

It can contribute, through tired and dry eyes, poor posture, and lost sleep. A 2024 umbrella review found a possible link between screen time and headaches in 11 to 19 year olds, with low certainty. Breaks, reminders to blink, and screens off one to two hours before bed are good first steps. If a child's headaches are frequent, getting worse, or waking them at night, see a doctor.

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