Why You Really Need To Stop Doomscrolling On Your Phone In Bed

A snooze-worthy pile of studies shows why this is a terrible idea. Unless you desperately need to contact someone in an emergency, you can probably ditch the phone in bed and leave that Instagram reel until tomorrow. 

Disturbed sleep

One of the main reasons is light. The body pumps out more melatonin, the sleepy hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle, in response to darkness and levels typically rise before you go to sleep. 

However, light – especially the blue wavelengths of light beamed out of your smartphone screen – suppresses melatonin production, thereby making you less sleepy and more awake.

Most smartphones feature some kind of “Night Shift” or “Eye comfort shield” that switches the display’s light to a warmer, more orange hue, designed to reduce the harsh blue glow and mimic the soothing qualities of sunset. Although well-intentioned, some studies have suggested these night modes aren’t very effective at improving sleep quality and you’re better off just avoiding phone time in the late evenings altogether. 

Opinions vary slightly, but the US National Sleep Foundation advises that people don’t ogle at smartphones, laptops, or tablets at least an hour or two before bedtime.

Doomscrolling is bad for you

Along with the light being zapped in your eyeballs, you might want to think about the information you’re putting into your brain each night. 

Recently, much attention has been given to “doomscrolling”, the habit of mindlessly scrolling through social media, depressing news, and other gloom-ridden online content, absorbing all of the world’s negativity in the palm of your hand.

A recent study of two distinctly diverse cultures – Americans and Iranians –  found that doomscrolling was associated with higher existential anxiety in both samples, as well as misanthropy – the dislike of humankind – in Iranian samples.

Engaging with stressful news or rage-inducing social media posts can spike anxiety at any hour, but doing so before you sleep is comparable to drinking a double shot of espresso at bedtime.

“Humans have an ability to temporarily override sleep. If you’re drifting off to sleep and smell smoke, your body will wake you up,” Dr Chris Winter, a sleep neurologist and advisor for Sleep.com, said in a statement. He explains that the same response is triggered when you process any shocking or scary online content – your body perceives an immediate physical threat and works to keep you from falling asleep.

This is why some experts believe it’s best to keep your phone away from your nightstand while you sleep. Not only can it interfere with falling asleep, but waking up to a flood of negative information isn’t an ideal way to start the day.

“It could be the biggest game changer for your stress from doomscrolling. You’re acclimating yourself instead to wake up to the light, look at your bed partner, and go to the bathroom and brush your teeth, creating a buffer to your stress response,” Dr Aditi Nerurkar, a stress expert at Harvard Medical School, said in a statement.

“We need to stay informed, but not at the expense of our mental health,” Dr Nerurkar added.

Don’t charge phones under your pillow, for the love of God

Another good reason to keep phones out of the bedroom (not like that) is fire safety. Fire experts have raised alarms about the risks of charging a phone in bed, where it could become smothered under bedding, leading to overheating and potentially sparking a fire. 

Their research found that a significant portion of people, including one-third of UK teenagers, even charge their phone under their pillow – which is a really, really bad idea.

“Phones generate heat during charging, and covering them with pillows or blankets can trap that heat, increasing the risk of overheating and potentially causing a fire,” Laurie Pollard, Managing Director of Firechief Global, reportedly said.

Prolong your phone’s battery life

Even charging your phone on your nightstand isn’t necessarily a great idea. Some phone manufacturers state that you shouldn’t charge your device for long periods of time or overnight. Chinese tech company Huawei, for instance, says keeping your battery between 30 and 70 percent is the best way to prolong battery life.

Speaking to the New York Times, iFixit’s Kevin Purdy compares the process of overcharging a battery to saturating a sponge with water.

“It’s pretty easy to fill a sponge from dry to mostly saturated,” he said. “But trying to force a nearly saturated sponge to absorb the very last drops of liquid requires pressure and likely leaves more liquid pooled on the surface. That ‘pooling’ is the S.E.I. (solid electrolytic interface) buildup on a battery. S.E.I. buildup reduces the overall capacity of a battery.”

So, if you’re looking for an easy way to improve your sleep, lower your existential dread, and maybe even extend the life of your phone, consider giving your phone a break before bed. After all, the world’s chaos will still be on your phone in the morning – it’s probably nothing to lose sleep over.