Breaking up with your phone before bedtime can be hard to do. Many of us are even guilty of falling asleep with it in our hands as we scroll down our Instagram feed, check our emails or engage in a seemingly necessary Candy Crush binge.
However, the blue light that emits from your favorite device stimulates brain activity and slows the production of melatonin, your natural hormone that makes you feel drowsy at the right time. Holding on to your phone for too long at night is the perfect way to cut your snooze short and diminish its quality.
Sleeping with your phone may seem to be for practical reasons, but according to CNET Magazine, those excuses that we tell ourselves as to why we need our phones close have a solution:
Excuse #1 –Your phone also moonlights as your alarm: While your cell phone offers this handy feature, which keeps a physical alarm clock from taking up space, it’s all about placement. Move your phone far away from the bed to decrease your chances of using it before bed or during a nighttime awakening.
Excuse #2 –You are afraid to be out of touch: It’s common to be worried about missing late-night emergency calls and texts. To solve this problem, take advantage of your smartphone’s “Do Not Disturb” mode, which turns off all notifications from texts, calls, emails and apps except from the few important contacts that you have the power to program.
Excuse #3 – You listen to music as you fall asleep: The right combinations can lull you to sleep, which is a smart move for many sleepers. However, avoid using plug-in headphones and opt for a Bluetooth connection to allow your phone to be left across the room. This option also lowers your exposure to blue light and radiation.
Excuse #4—You can’t stop checking Facebook or playing games and regularly fall asleep with your phone in bed accidentally: The only way to overcome this habit is to set some boundaries. Pick a designated spot to keep your phone away from the bed, or even better in a different room. Put a charger there and set up a bedtime routine that includes putting away your phone at least at hour before your bedtime.
The need to be constantly connected 24/7 can easily consume you, leading to poor sleep quality even if you tuck in at the right time. Make your sleep a priority by winding down with relaxing activities before you bedtime instead of stimulating your brain with electronics. To learn more about why you should put away your phone at night, click here!
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