We’re all guilty of scrolling on our phones or watching television right before we go to bed. You may think that it’s helping you to unwind before you go to sleep but it has the opposite effect. You need to quit the habit and remove technology before bed. Having a tech-free night will improve your quality of sleep and leave you feeling well-rested.

Your bedroom should be technology-free. Not using your phone or watching television an hour before bedtime will have a massive positive effect on your quality of sleep.

It’s so easy to tell yourself you’ll just have a quick scroll on Facebook or Instagram before you go to sleep. However, more often than not this turns into more than an hour. Then when you do try and sleep you’re stressing about how little time you’ve got left.

Here are just a few reasons why you should switch your phone and television off an hour before bed…

It Makes Your Brain Too Alert for Sleep

Spending time on technology right before bed stimulates your brain. Subsequently, it makes your mind too switched on and alert. Therefore, you’ll find that it takes a lot longer for you to fall asleep, your sleep will be restless and you’ll wake up feeling groggy.

You need time to relax and unwind before bed. This will help you slow down your thoughts and help you fall asleep faster. This is because your mind won’t be wandering and thinking about other things as much.

The False Light is Bad for Your Eyesight

Everyone knows that blue light isn’t great for your eyesight. It’s especially bad when you’re exposed to it when your room is dark. The glaring light will make it harder for your brain to switch off when you turn off the lights and try to fall asleep. Therefore, having a tech-free night will help your mind to unwind and relax, which will improve your sleep quality.

It’s Too Distracting

If you’ve just watched something on television that’s intense, thought-provoking, or disturbing then your mind will race when you try and switch off and go to sleep.

Using your phone before bed also really distracts you from sleeping because you may see an email that you need to reply to or something that upsets you on social media.

Subsequently, your thoughts will be racing and thinking about replying to people or commenting on someone’s post. This will play on your mind, preventing you from sleeping.

If you keep your phone in your bedroom when you’re sleeping it’s important to switch it to silent or airplane mode. Notifications can prevent you from falling asleep because you’ll be dying to know what it is. If your phone keeps going off when you’re sleeping then it can prevent you from having a deep and undisturbed sleep.

Things Can Wait Until the Morning

Switching your phone off an hour before bed isn’t going to make you miss out on anything. Things can always wait until the morning. Furthermore, it’s far better to reply to things when you’re fresh and alert than when you’re tired and ready for bed.

You’ve got all the time in the world to be on your phone the next day. Therefore, focus the last hour of your day on unwinding, switching off, and preparing for a good night’s sleep.

Your Bedroom is for Sleeping and Connecting with Your Partner

Your bedroom should be a calming and comfortable place where you sleep or have sex with your partner. It should be a tech-free zone and a place of relaxation. Furthermore, removing technology from the bedroom will improve your sleep quality. As well as help you to be distraction-free and it will help you to focus on connecting with your partner more.

If you don’t want to leave your phone out of the bedroom or remove your television, then make a promise to yourself that an hour before bed you will turn the television off and put your phone on airplane mode.

Create a Bedtime Routine

Watching television or scrolling on your phone mindlessly before bed is simply a habit. You may be thinking “What will I do if I’m not allowed on technology!?”. There are countless things that you can do before bed that will help you relax and have an amazing night’s sleep.

You could spend the time talking to your partner, having sex and reconnecting. It’s also an amazing time for self-care and relaxation. Try meditating, journaling, reading a book, having a hot bath, stretching, listening to a sleep app, etc.

Teach your brain an hour before bed that it’s time for sleep. Therefore, you’ll get to sleep quicker, have a sound and undisturbed sleep, and wake up fresh and ready to take on your day.

““I’m off to bed”- Translation: “I’m off to stare at my phone in another part of the house”.”– Unknown

Summary

It’s important to remove technology from your bedroom before you sleep, to get good quality sleep and wake up feeling refreshed for the next day.

Follow the tips above and watch your energy levels and mental health improve over time. Prioritising time for self-care and unwinding before bed is important for you to live a healthy and happy life.

“Disconnecting from our technology to reconnect with ourselves is absolutely essential.”– Arianna Huffington

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