In our current society, it’s not an overstatement to say that we are glued to our phones. In fact, most people will say that their phone is the most important accessory they have. Why wouldn’t it be? It gives us access to our most important memories and our favorite music, it connects us with our friends and family, and it provides us with a world of information at our fingertips. But, in some cases, being “too connected” can be a bad thing. For instance, being “too connected” when you are trying to sleep can easily keep you up all night, leading to insomnia. So, because of this, it’s not the best idea to sleep next to your phone. Let’s discuss this in greater detail.
A Sense of Separation
It’s incredibly important to be able to separate from the outside world and decompress every night. Some people rely on watching that hour of television or reading that chapter of their favorite book series before fading off to sleep. We need to decompress from the stressors of the day to relax into a nice deep sleep. However, if we switch our book with a cell phone for this decompression time, we wind up on social media, which is a terrible tool to calm down with. In fact, social media can stress us out or even hype us up rather than allowing us to relax. Think about it, the wrong political post or bit of drama can amp up your energy. So, it’s better to have a sense of separation from everyone else by putting your phone elsewhere before you sleep.
Blue Light
It’s recently been proven that blue light can be bad for your sleep cycle. In fact, studies found that blue light can trick your brain into thinking its daytime and, in turn, give you more energy. There are even some blue-light therapy options that can help people get rid of jetlag in a similar way. So, it’s needless to say that staring at blue light right before going to sleep can give you energy rather than help you calm down and fall into a nice state of deep sleep. When we stare at our phones, we are looking directly at a blue light, which can disrupt our natural sleep pattern by keeping us from falling asleep easily.
What Should We Do?
Since sleeping next to your phone just seems like a bad idea, it’s important to come up with a plan to help you sleep better. First, ditch the phone! Perhaps, you can leave your phone in your kitchen or in a designated area while you sleep (preferably out of the room you are sleeping in). This way, you can disconnect yourself from the distraction of your phone. It will be much harder for you to get to it if you wake up at night, and it will keep you separated from the stressors of social media and the blue light that will keep you awake. It will also keep you from being woken up if someone happens to call you too early or too late.
Aside from putting your phone away from you, think about making your sleep space even more cozy so you can experience the much-needed sleep you’ve been missing out on. Think about getting memory foam pillows that will help you feel more comfortable, as well as breathable blankets. If you’re a hot sleeper, think about getting a cooling mattress so you don’t wake up too hot in the middle of the night.
So, when sleeping at night, think about getting an old-fashioned alarm clock to keep you on your preferred sleep schedule, and leave your phone in a different room. This way, you won’t be tempted to look at your phone while you’re decompressing. You will feel a sense of separation once again from the outside world, and you won’t be woken up by nonsense. Add this with a comfy sleeping situation, and you just may start getting that much-needed sleep you need and deserve.
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