Do you wake up at 3am? Try my $10 switch for better sleep
Of course I used to sleep with my phone on my nightstand – how can I set my other alarm? So what if the temptation of social media meant that I sometimes scrolled long past my bedtime, keeping my brain up all night?
Good sleep hygiene encourages you to keep your phone away from your bed, but it wasn’t until I bought a $10 analog alarm clock that I realized how useful this advice is.
The downside of keeping your phone on your nightstand
Keeping your phone nearby while you sleep seems like an innocent habit but as experts explain, even a silent phone is a hidden distraction. Here’s why…
It sends your emotions flowing
Unless you have a very well-chosen feed, looking at your phone rarely provides the feeling of complete relaxation you need to fall asleep.
“Phones deliver highly engaging, emotional content. Even a brief scroll can increase mental arousal, delay the onset of sleep, and activate networks associated with vigilance and reward,” explains Dr. Daniella Marchetti, Clinical Psychologist Specializing in Sleep Medicine at RISE.
That’s a lot of emotion to have as you try to calm down.
“At that time we should be quieting the mind to sleep, instead we stimulate it,” said Dr. Deborah Lee, sleep specialist at Doctor Fox Online Pharmacy.
Disturbing lights and sounds
Yyou you went to bed on time but your friends have no good manners and keep blowing up your phone with distraction.
This can range from a bright light to a vibration to an unwanted ‘ping’ just as you drift. It’s a series of worries that keep you from closing properly.
“Even if you don’t use it fully, having your phone nearby can disrupt sleep — notifications, lights, vibrations, or just the mental tug of knowing it’s there can keep your brain alert,” says Chrissy Lawler, LMFT and author of Peaceful Sleeper.
“Phones are connected to work, social obligations, and global news cycles, so having that ‘always on’ signal nearby can make it difficult for the nervous system to completely shut down,” added Dr. Lee.
A blue light
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum and causes the release of cortisol (the hormone that wakes you up) while suppressing melatonin (the hormone that makes you sleep.)
The main source of blue light is the sun but your phone is a secondary source.
“Electronic devices emit blue light, which disrupts sleep,” says Erin Clifford, health coach and author of Wellness Reimagined. “Blue light doesn’t allow your melatonin levels to rise, making it harder to fall asleep.”
A recent study suggests that blue light isn’t quite the sleep killer we once thought it was, but either way, the amount of screen glare before bed isn’t conducive to sleep.
Even if your phone is placed in your bed at night, it still has the potential to disturb your sleep, the problem Dr. Marchetti described it as “anticipatory vigilance.”
“Even when not in full use, a nearby phone can affect sleep through anticipatory arousal, which occurs when we anonymously monitor for notifications,” he says.
“On its own, it increases the likelihood of sleep-disruptive behavior, may be tempting to reach for when you wake up at night, and may disrupt sleep if the alert or vibration is turned off. Availability makes a difference unconsciously.”
My bad sleeping habit is that I always double check my alarm on my phone when I’m lying in bed. And then, maybe, a sneak peek at TikTok… which turns into another 20 minutes of scrolling doom.
“What feels like ‘down’ often turns into doomscrolling. Those little hits of dopamine, combined with blue light suppressing melatonin, keep your brain alert.”
“You think you’re resting,” Lawler says, “but you’re actually stimulating your nervous system.”
It creates a negative association
Your brain learns to recognize certain sleep triggers during sleep, which is why a night routine is so helpful.
However, using your phone before bed can have the opposite effect. By blasting your brain with a dose of stimulation when you’re connected, you’re telling your brain to wake up in bed.
“By removing your phone from the bedside, you eliminate both the temptation and the trigger, helping your brain associate the bed with sleep rather than stimulation,” explains Dr. Lee.
A $10 change that helps me sleep better
I settled for having my phone next to my bed because it was my alarm, and a combination of screen restrictions and sleep-friendly settings meant I could keep my ‘last’ scrolling under 20 minutes… most nights.
But let’s break down the numbers. Say I go to bed at 10:30 pm and then spend another 20 minutes on my phone. I added a 20-minute sleep delay (a long time, if I had scrolled past something that made my thoughts race) and soon I didn’t fall asleep until 45 minutes after my bedtime.
I am no longer tempted to take another quick peek when I find myself waking up at 3 am
I decided to buy an analog alarm clock as a fall back after my phone alarm went wrong, thinking it would be a nice little addition to my nightstand.
It quickly became my main alarm clock, relegating my phone to an unnecessary distraction that I could keep across the room.
And what do you know, without the ‘last look’ before going to bed, I quickly decided how long it took me to fall asleep.
How an alarm clock can help you overcome phone addiction
“Replacing your phone with a traditional alarm clock removes a major source of mental and behavioral stimulation,” says Dr. Marchetti. “Physically, you reduce the number of cues that are quick to wake up, making it easier for your brain to transition to sleep.”
“Switching to a regular alarm clock removes the temptation [to scroll] absolutely,” explains Lawler. “It creates a clear boundary between day and night, which helps your brain to wind down more efficiently.”
So removing my phone from my nightstand and replacing its primary function (alarm) with an analog one (alarm clock) reduces distractions before bed and when I’m ready for bed.
Lawler describes it as “a clear boundary between day and night”, which helps your brain to be down “correctly.”
“Less distractions cause less anxiety and lead to better sleep quality and duration. All this means you’re more likely to wake up with your regular alarm clock, feeling better rested, brighter and in a better mood.” said Dr. Lee.
If you have an urgent need to keep your phone handy, it can stay in the room, but an alarm clock helps cut that ‘last look’ that many of us are guilty of.
“Small adjustments to your sleeping environment can have a noticeable impact on sleep quality,” encourages Dr. Lee.
Healthy ways to fit your phone into your nighttime routine
It’s probably no surprise that on the Tom’s Guide team, we’re big fans of technology, so I’m not suggesting you ditch your phone.
“Phones are not dangerous in nature,” confirmed Dr. Marchetti. “They are powerful tools that can support or disrupt sleep depending on patterns of use.”
Lawler notes that if used correctly, the phone can be a useful addition to those with a busy, busy mind. “Listening to a cool podcast or audiobook can give your brain one thing to focus on instead of replaying the day. But that’s very different from scrolling,” he said.
“White noise or other soothing sounds like the ocean, forest, or rain storms, from an app on your phone, can help you fall asleep and stay asleep because it blocks out sounds like outside traffic or snoring,” adds Erin Clifford.
Keeping your phone out of reach can also prevent endless hitting of the snooze button. As Clifford points out, snoozing “disrupts your body’s internal clock and causes you to feel anxious for hours.”
“Overall, substituting your phone for more traditional rituals — reading, writing, meaningful conversation — sends your brain a very clear message: the day is over. Time to relax,” advises Lawler.
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