OK so here’s the thing – we’re all basically addicted to our screens nowadays. I mean, when was the last time you went even like 3 hours without checking your phone? Yeah, me neither! Between work stuff, social media, Netflix, and everything else, our digital habits are totally messing with our sleep. Like, for real.
I’ve been working with sleep patients for 15 years (wow that makes me feel old lol), and I’ve definitely seen a HUGE increase in problems related to screen time and sleep quality. Trust me, if you’re struggling with this, you’re definitely not alone!
Why Screens Are Basically Sleep Killers
So why exactly do screens make it so freaking hard to get good sleep?
It mostly comes down to something called blue light sleep disruption. Sounds fancy, I know.
Here’s the deal – humans evolved over thousands of years with just the sun during the day and darkness (or maybe some fire) at night. When it got dark out, our brains were like “oh cool, time to make melatonin and get sleepy!”
But now? Our phones and laptops and TVs are basically yelling at our brains “HEY IT’S STILL DAYTIME DON’T SLEEP YET!!!” even when it’s like midnight. Super annoying.
My colleague Mike over at Columbia (he’s way smarter than me about the brain stuff) puts it this way: “We’re basically screwing up our ancient brain wiring with all this artificial light.” Couldn’t have said it better myself!
What Happens To Your Sleep (It Ain’t Pretty)
When you’re in bed watching TikToks or whatever, a few things happen:
- You cant fall asleep – Your melatonin (thats the sleepy hormone) gets delayed by like 3 hours. No wonder your still wide awake at 1 AM scrolling thru Instagram!
- Your deep sleep gets wrecked – Even after you finally pass out, you get way less REM sleep, which is the really good kind that helps your brain process stuff from the day.
- You wake up all the time – Ever notice how you keep waking up throughout the night after binge-watching Netflix or checking work emails? Thats your over-stimulated brain freaking out.
- Your sleep just feels crappy – Even if your in bed for 8 hours, you might feel like you only got like 5 hours of actual rest. Thats because screen time and sleep quality are totally connected – more screens = worse sleep.
I read this big study from last year that looked at like 42 different research papers (I had to read it for a conference, wasn’t exactly fun beach reading lol). People who used screens a lot at night felt 23% worse about there sleep compared to people who didn’t. Thats a big deal!
Stuff That Actually Works
Im not gonna tell you to throw your phone in the toilet or anything crazy. That would be super unrealistic, and tbh I’m not giving up my devices either! But here’s some stuff that really works for my patients:
1. Do a “Tech Curfew” Thing
Pick a time – maybe like 9 PM – when you’ll just put the darn screens away. Sounds super basic but its crazy effective.
My friend Ramona (shes also a sleep doctor) tells patients: “Be as strict with your screen curfew as you would be about not drinking like 5 espressos right before bed.” Good point!
The first few nights are kinda rough (no lie), but most of my patients start sleeping wayyy better within a week.
2. Use Those Blue Light Filter Thingies
When you absolutely gotta use screens at night:
- iPhone peeps: Turn on that Night Shift thing
- Android people: Look for Blue Light Filter in settings
- Computer users: Night Light (Windows) or Night Shift (Mac)
Theres also this app called f.lux that changes automatically based on sunset where you live.
These don’t completely fix the blue light sleep disruption problem, but they definitely help a ton.
3. Make Your Bedroom a No-Phone Zone!
This has been like seriously life-changing for so many of my patients:
- Get the TV outta there (I’m serious!!!)
- Charge your phone in the kitchen or living room
- Use a regular alarm clock instead
- Keep your laptop somewhere else
This not only cuts down on all that blue light sleep disruption stuff, but it also breaks that weird mental connection between your bed and stressing about work emails at midnight.
4. Get Picky About Screen Time
This isn’t just about sleeping better – it’s about like taking back control of your life:
- Check email at specific times (not like, constantly)
- Turn off most notifications (seriously, the world won’t end)
- Use those screen time tracker things to see where your time goes
- Read an actual book before bed instead of scrolling (I know, mind-blowing right???)
I had this one patient who found out she was spending almost 6 hours EVERY DAY on her phone. She was like, “I don’t even enjoy most of that time! It’s just habit.” That hit me hard cuz same girl, same.
5. Try a Screen-Free Weekend Sometimes
Every couple months, try taking a weekend off from screens. I tried this recently and OMG:
- I slept sooooo much better
- Actually finished a novel I’d been reading forever
- Had real conversations with my family (weird but nice lol)
- Felt way less stressed out
Just tell people you’ll be MIA, delete your most addictive apps for a bit, and see what happens!
Different Advice for Different People
If You Got Kids
Kids and teens are super susceptible to blue light sleep disruption:
- No screens an hour before bedtime (this is non-negotiable sry)
- Keep all devices out of bedrooms at night
- Be a good example – they totally notice when you’re glued to your phone
- Use those parental controls! They exist for a reason
For Night Shift Workers
If you work evenings or nights, you got extra challenges:
- Max out those blue light filters on everything
- Get some blue-light blocking glasses (they look kinda dorky but work great)
- Make your bedroom super dark during day-sleeping hours
- Talk to a sleep specialist – for real, we can help with this specific situation
When to Get Professional Help
While fixing your screen time and sleep quality issues works for most peeps, sometimes theres more going on. Talk to a doctor if:
- You’ve tried everything and still cant sleep
- Your exhausted all day no matter how much you sleep
- Your partner says you snore like crazy or stop breathing
- Your feeling really down because of poor sleep
Finding Your Balance
Look, I love my technology too. I’m not saying we should all go live in the woods without wifi. The key is being intentional about how we use our stuff.
Small changes can make a HUGE difference in reducing blue light sleep disruption and helping you sleep better. Maybe just start with one suggestion from this article – even that could help you wake up feeling more like a human and less like a zombie!
Sweet dreams (and maybe put down that phone now)!