Why you should turn off your phone before bed

Photo by Nathana Rebouças on Unsplash

Why do you think some people are able to focus better than others?

That they are able to get more done in a day than others can?

Setting aside the obvious differences in terms of economic status, work status, marital status and/or parenthood, there must be a reason why some people always manage their time better than the rest.

In the digital age, that can very easily come down to your relationship with your devices.

There are multiple reasons why you need to turn off your devices before bed. I’ve listed a few of them here.

1. It makes falling asleep harder. If you struggle with insomnia, try not looking at devices for 30 minutes to an hour before bed. Do this daily for a week and see the difference it makes to your sleep quality.
2. The blue light from phones, tablets and other screens suppresses the release of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle and keeps you well rested. When this is suppressed, it affects your sleep quality significantly.
3. Phones upset your circadian rhythm. A good circadian rhythm is important for a number of things from proper metabolism, appetite and even weight loss. Struggling with losing pounds on an exercise regimen? Your irregular sleep cycle could be the cause and more likely, the phone’s the main culprit affecting that cycle.
4. Phones keep you away from other things you could be doing. Our devices give us the impression that our attention must be with them at all times. Instead turn that attention towards a book, some music, a spouse or a child before bed.
5. You will be able to focus better the next day. I’ve tested this personally and it’s absolutely true. When I stopped using my phone in bed, I slowly let go of FOMO (fear of missing out). Instead my mind turned towards more fulfilling habits and routines that didn’t depend on a device.

Simple tips to release you from your phone addiction through the day and before you sleep:

1. Do a phone declutter exercise. I guarantee this works amazingly well.
2. At a fixed time every night, pick up your phone, walk to a room far away from your bedroom and plug in the phone for charging.
3. Set your phone on ‘Do not disturb’ or ‘Airplane’ mode. (I have a landline (yes, I am a dinosaur), so people can reach me in an emergency).
4. Only check your social media notifications on your desktop. Stop using apps.
5. Have a work-home boundary when it comes to your phone. Disengage from your device at a scheduled time everyday, much like you’d clock out at a factory at the end of work hours.

These are very simple tips, as you can tell. But a consistent , repetitive habit will help you slowly overcome your phone reliance and give you a better night’s sleep.

*Day 11 of daily writing on Medium

Welcome to my Medium page. I write about blogging, social media and mindful productivity here and a spot of creative non-fiction and fiction here.