A 15-year-old boy in Zhengzhou, Henan, has been diagnosed with permanently stunted growth after doctors discovered that his growth plates had already closed, a condition linked to years of late-night phone use.
According to Sin Chew Daily, the teenager is only 138cm tall, significantly below China’s 2025 height standard for boys his age, which ranges from 160.5cm to 185cm. His parents brought him to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, where Dr. Huo examined him and found that his bone age had advanced beyond normal levels.
“There is no more room for growth. His height is essentially fixed for the rest of his life,” Dr. Huo said.
Doctors discovered that the boy had a long-term habit of staying up late to scroll on his phone, watch videos, and play mobile games, often until morning. Dr. Huo said this disrupted sleep pattern was the main cause of his stunted growth.
Children grow with the help of growth hormones, which are released in significantly higher amounts during specific sleep windows between 10pm and 1am and again from 5am to 6am. Staying awake during these critical hours disrupts hormone secretion, directly affecting physical development.
Dr. Huo also advised parents not to let children sleep with lights on, as light exposure can interfere with melatonin production, further impacting growth hormone release.
