Read this if you are always on the phone before bed

The vast majority of people are on smartphones until it’s time to go to bed – and many people are on their phones even in bed. According to a 2019 study conducted by Common Sense Media, 61% of parents are on the phone half an hour before bed and about 70% of children check their phone during this time.

And while many people stay on their phones until they go to bed, most people are still able to sleep, he said. Rafael Pelayo, sleep specialist at Stanford Health Care. He added that it is not the act of actually being on our phones before bed that keeps us awake at night, but the type of content that is consumed before bed has an impact on good or bad rest.

He added that checking on something you know will cause you stress can lead to a restless night. Alternatively, using your phone as a calming tool or as a way to end the day can help you sleep.

Below, sleep experts share what to do – and what not to do – on your phone to help you have a restful night’s sleep.

Pelayo suggested using your phone as a tool to end the day before bed. Check tomorrow’s weather, ask a friend a question, or choose the workout you want to do in the morning.

Whatever you do, don’t check for notifications that you know will stress you out, such as news updates or emails. Be aware of the alerts that catch your attention and whether they will promote a restful sleep.

“The most annoying thing about screens is when they’re at the brightest, [they] it emits a color that is close to the natural light we have in our environment “, he said Rebecca Robbins, a medical instructor at Harvard Medical School and an associate scientist in the Sleep and Circadian Disorders Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

She added that, specifically, the blue light emitted by phone screens can have the same physiological alert effect that the sun has on the body and brain.

Many phones have settings that automatically change the screen color. On the iPhone, the functionality is called Night Shift, and on Samsung phones, a setting called Blue Light Filter does the same thing. On other Android phones, the setting is called Night Light. If your phone does not provide this setting, there are applications available for free download that adjust the tone of your phone as you approach bedtime.

According to Robbins, changing the pre-programmed blue setting of your phone to a warmer shade can help you feel sleepy and relaxed. She suggested changing the settings either around the time of sunset or an hour or two before bed.

In accordance with Pew Research Center, about 7 out of 10 Americans use social media. While it’s not inherently bad to check Twitter or Instagram before bed, Robbins pointed out that using social media right before bed could lead to a hectic night.

“One of the hardest things about social media is that you lose control,” she said. That is, while you can select who you’re friends with on Facebook, you can’t control what they post or the announcements or news updates that appear in your feed, or if someone posts something that upsets you.

Robbins said that since we can’t choose everything we see on social media, it may not always show you adequate sleep content. If you want to look at social media before bed, try searching for specific accounts that you know will calm you down (such as some of these mental health Instagram accounts). Otherwise, save your applications for earlier in the day, if you can.

Using the phone in bed is not a shame, Pelayo said. Many people use meditation applications as a way to fall asleep. He mentioned that in this case, the phone is more than a phone, it is a useful tool for sleep.

Downloadable meditation applications such as Headspace, Shine and Calm teach beginners how to meditate and the importance of practice, and also provide guided meditations for users of all levels.

“Stories are one of the forms of information we received when we were very, very young,” Robbins said. “So we’re scheduled to have a bedtime story.”

You can download storytelling programs to your smartphone that can help you sleep. Applications such as Perceptible and Libby allows users to download a range of audio books to listen to, including bestsellers, children’s books, non-fiction works, and story collections.

Take advantage of your phone’s alarm clock functionality by setting an alarm clock at bedtime, Robbins recommends. That way, if you’re in a rabbit hole on social media when you should get ready for bed, an evening alarm may remind you not to run.

“If you set a sleep alarm, it can help you become more aware at a time when you should start to stop,” she said, adding that stopping can mean meditation, breathing or stepping in a shower. warm.

“We are so devoted [alarms for] when we wake up. We have much less awareness about bedtime, ”she said.

Pelayo pointed out that when it comes to using your smartphone before bed, the ultimate goal should be to achieve a sense of serenity after checking your phone. If you use it for meditation before sleep reaches this goal, great. If watching TikTok helps you get there, that’s great.

“The phone can be a great tool if you’re worried about getting up late for work or missing a flight early in the morning,” he said. In these cases, your phone can serve as an alarm clock and help you sleep knowing that you will be awake at the required time in the morning.

If you use your phone as a tool to feel safe and prepared – or hidden – for a good night’s sleep, then using your phone before bed is not a problem. If you use your phone as a way to block annoying thoughts, you probably won’t have a restful night’s sleep.

Pelayo stressed that those who use their phone to bed and even in bed should not feel ashamed. When used correctly, it can be a useful tool for many as they go to sleep.