Sleep experts say that using your smartphone as a morning alarm may not be the best way to wake up!
Phones and their amazing apps have replaced many things like pocket calculators, cameras, and maps. But returning to an old-fashioned alarm clock instead of your phone might help you get up and go in the morning.
“Keeping the phone in another room will likely decrease the opportunity for distraction from sleep and also decrease the opportunity for sleep procrastination,” said Dr. Shalini Paruthi, sleep medicine attending physician at John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital in St. Louis and adjunct professor at St. Louis University School of Medicine.
A phone by your bed could mean easy access to scroll at night and an easy snooze button in the morning. If you’re planning to sleep better or wake up earlier to implement new routines in the new year, a small and helpful step may be trading your phone for a good old alarm clock. Dr. Paruthi and other sleep experts say that with a phone alarm on your bedside table, it is easy to reach over and hit the snooze button. But dedicated alarm clocks have many ways to get you up and out of bed.
“Alarms come with a variety of features such as vibration, lights, noises, puzzles,” Paruthi said.
Another benefit of not using your phone as an alarm is that you have a good excuse for not keeping it in your bedroom, which is helpful for sleep, Paruthi said.
“Ideally, a bedtime routine includes winding down, relaxing, and helping the brain transition from a ‘go-go-go’ state to a more calm, ready to fall asleep state,” she said. “Having a phone at the bedside makes it really easy to roll over and start scrolling.”
The bright light and content on your phone might make you more alert instead of drowsy, and screens can also lead to procrastinating about sleep and getting less than you originally intended, Paruthi said.
Having your phone close by makes it more likely that you will use it.
“Having a phone in close proximity could increase feelings of curiosity. What might be happening that you aren’t seeing?” said Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, senior vice president of research and scientific affairs at the National Sleep Foundation. “These feelings could be enough to entice you to roll over and check your phone, thus interfering with going to sleep, staying asleep, or sleeping soundly.”
How Much Sleep is Needed for Good Health?
Most adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. However, population research from the foundation has shown that 60% of adults do not meet that recommendation.
“Getting too little sleep or too much sleep can both be problematic and impact how well we function throughout the day,” Dzierzewski said.
For better sleep, the National Sleep Foundation recommends some more small steps. You should get bright light in the daytime; exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week; eat meals at consistent times; avoid heavy meals, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol before bed; use a consistent wind-down routine; sleep in a quiet, cool and dark place; and put electronics away an hour before bed.
