For many of us, putting our mobile devices down before sleeping can be downright difficult when there’s always one more email or text we could be answering. So, what’s the best way to use your phone at bedtime?
Using your phone before bedtime can interfere with sleep at a time when you want all the noise in your head to shut off and be focused on relaxation. As Dr. Walia, a sleep disorders specialist, notes: “Checking your phone stimulates the brain so we are more active and awake. Even just a quick check can engage your brain and prolong sleep.”
There’s also the blue light your smart phone’s screen emits. Blue light, an artificial color that mimics daylight, can disrupt your body’s internal clock and circadian rhythm by decreasing levels of melatonin, a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. Reducing melatonin may make it harder to fall and stay asleep.
According to a Harvard study referenced in Psychology Today, “Reading a screen before sleeping will cause you to feel more sleepy and groggy when you wake up in the morning. Those who read from a screen before bed reported taking hours longer to fully ‘wake up’ the next day, compared to those who read a printed book instead.”
What do experts suggest then? Dr. Walia recommends “Cut off screen time 1 hour before bed, but…there are even benefits to discontinuing it just 30 minutes before bed. And sure smart phones are typically the main culprit, but even tablets and TVs can emit blue light that can contribute to poor sleep.” If you must look at a screen, switch to night mode to reduce blue light.
Also, make sure your phone is on night or airplane mode so you don’t hear texts, alerts and emails coming in that can wake you and mess up your sleep quality. As a last resort you may have to put your phone away to charge in another room and go old school with an alarm clock.
Looking for more ways to get better sleep? Try our app, Rain Rain Sleep Sounds, to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.