Read it if you are always on your phone before going to bed

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

And although many people are on their phones until they go to sleep, most people can still sleep, he said Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist at Stanford Health Care. He added that this is not the way we are on our phones at night before bed, but that it is a good or bad night’s rest, but rather the type of content consumed before bed.

He added that a restless night can result in watching something you know can cause you stress. Alternatively, you can help use your phone as a soothing tool or end the day.

Below, sleep experts tell you what to do – and what not to do – on your phone to help you sleep a restful night.

Pelayo suggested that you use your phone as a tool for the end of the day before going to bed. Check the weather for tomorrow, ask a friend a question or choose the workout you want to do in the morning.

Whatever you do, do not let notifications that you know are going to stress you out, such as news updates or emails. Be aware of the warnings that catch your attention and whether it will promote a restful night’s sleep.

“The most disturbing thing about screens is when they are at their highest brightness, [they] gives a color that is close to the natural light we have in our environment, ”said Rebecca Robbins, a medical instructor at Harvard Medical School and an associate scientist in the sleep and circadian disorders department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

She added that the blue light emitted from telephone screens can have the same physiological warning effect as the sun has on the body and brain.

Many phones have settings that change the color of the screen automatically. On the iPhone, the features are called Night Shift, and on Samsung phones, the setting called Blue Light Filter does the same. On other Android phones, the setting is called Night Light. If your phone does not provide this setting, there are free apps available to download that customize your phone while you are near bedtime.

According to Robbins, the pre-programmed blue color setting of your phone to a warmer hue can help you feel sleepy and relaxed. She suggested that the settings be changed by the time the sun goes down or an hour or two before bed.

According to the Pew Research Center, about 7 out of ten Americans use social media. While it’s not inherently bad to watch Twitter or Instagram before bed, Robbins stressed that using social media just before bed can cause a restless night.

“One of the hardest things about social media is that you lose control,” she said. Meaning, although you can choose who you are friends with on Facebook, you can not control what they post or the targeted ads or news updates that appear in your feed, or if someone posts something that upsets you.

According to Robbins, since we can not choose everything we see on social media, it can not always show you sleep-friendly content. If you want to watch social media before going to bed, try looking through specific accounts that will put you to rest (like some of these Instagram mental health accounts). Otherwise, you can save the programs earlier in the day if you can.

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

Downloadable meditation programs such as Headroom, Shine and Calm teach beginners how to meditate and the importance of exercise, and also offer guided meditations for users at all levels.

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

You can download storytelling apps to your smartphone that can make your sleep easier. Programs like Audible and Libby enables users to download a range of audio books to listen to, including bestsellers, children’s books, non-fiction works and short stories.

Take advantage of Robbins’ phone alarm system by setting an alarm before bedtime. This way, if you’re in a rabbit hole on social media when you need to get ready for bed, an alarm can remind you to stop browsing.

“Setting a calming alarm for your bedtime can help you be a little more aware of a time when you should start switching off,” she said, adding that switching off could mean meditation, breathing or getting in. a hot shower.

‘We are so committed to it [alarms for] when we wake up. We are much less aware of our bedtime, ”she said.

Pelayo stressed that when it comes to smartphone use before bed, the end goal should be a sense of calm after checking your phone. If used for meditation before sleep reaches the goal, it is wonderful. Looking at TikTok helps you get there, it’s great too.

“The phone can be an excellent tool if you are worried about getting up late for work or missing a flight early in the morning,” he said. In such cases, your phone can act as an alarm clock and help you sleep to know that you are waking up in the morning at the necessary time.

If you use your phone as a tool to make you feel safe and prepared – or stuck – for a good night’s sleep, using the phone before bed is not a problem. If you use your phone to block annoying thoughts, you probably will not get a restful night of sleep.

Pelayo stressed that those who use their phone until bedtime and even in bed do not have to feel ashamed. Used properly, it can be a useful tool for many as they fall asleep.