Does your daily routine have an unwanted guest?

Did you invite blue light to your coffee break, lunch, dinner and to bed?

Did you wake up and fumble with your eyes closed for your phone this morning?

Do you find yourself awake on your device instead of resting before sleeping?

Are you reading this in bed?

“I’m just checking the time...” yeah right! You might be checking your favorite new site, some mails, or if you’re like me, snooping on people.com seeing which Californian celebrities were dog walking on their coffee run.

Here is what I say to myself to justify my behavior on my phone:

“I am on my phone to connect”
“I am on my phone to learn and life hack or researching for work”
“I am on my phone to relax”

Here is what I was noticing when I was on my phone:

When I’m on my phone my children misbehave (I wasn’t connecting/learning to be a better parent)
When I’m on my phone I don’t hear things properly. (I wasn’t connecting with people right in front of me trying to talk. I was disconnecting. )
When I’m on my phone in bed I don’t sleep as well. (I wasn’t relaxing as it was stimulating my mind and keeping me awake)

I believe I had a reasonably healthy relationship with my phone pre-COVID; and then things changed. Recently, the digital social connection was an important mental health strategy for many of us. Connecting with others digitally was even recommended by the World Health Organization to support mental health and to reduce the feeling of isolation. In lockdown just like ET, I phoned home (a lot). It helped. I also played Pictionary, donated to charity, ordered food, worked, etc. Positive, except my screen time average, was creeping up during the day and slipping into the midnight hours. Yikes. I created a monster. *an unhealthy habit.

Deciding to limit my screen time before bed.

It’s not you, it’s me! I know that the issue is not my children, or my bed, or my hearing. I have control over how I use my time and where I direct my attention and when. I was no longer using my phone to connect but to disconnect, but in trying to switch off and scroll, my brain felt wired and I couldn’t sleep. Device usage and being on our phones isn’t a hard “unhealthy habit” as we have realized with our socially distanced zoom parties and friendly face time coffee catch-ups. However, setting boundaries and regaining balance and control is essential for overall wellness. Instead of making my life more productive and connecting me with others, it was zapping my time, sleep, and relationship quality.

While there was ample opportunity for improvement in many areas, I found my phone invading various aspects of my personal life. I decided to focus on reducing my phone usage at bedtime. Why? Well, Sleep is my current wellness priority and it will help me be a patient parent and better partner (Win-win for all involved).

Here is what I learned on my “device-free zone” at bedtime journey:

I am not alone. The National Sleep foundation found 71% of us sleep with our phones.
Our relationship with our phones at bedtime affects our sleep.
- Reduces the sleep-regulating hormone (Melatonin).
- Keeps your brain engaged and active (e.g. thinking about what can I Google next?).
- They can wake you up (with alerts/pings and bings). (Source: National Sleep foundation).
Blue light is not my friend. Gadgets such as phones and similar electronic devices emit blue light. According to the National Sleep foundation, blue light exposure is linked to disrupting the natural sleep-wake cycle known as the circadian rhythm. Research from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and metabolism suggests that the synthesis (creation) and release of melatonin (which is a hormone that regulates our sleep cycle) are suppressed by blue light exposure. Potentially impacting various aspects of our health and wellness (sleep/blood sugar regulation/blood pressure/temperature regulation). Read more about your circadian rhythm here.
App tracking helped. With plenty of research for motivation, I found the added bonus of earning Zest Wellness points a plus. I am more focused when tracking progress, and quite frankly I enjoy reviewing my personal sleep analytics like a science project.

Here are some other device reduction habit setting options you could explore on the app.

So there you have it.

We hope you feel inspired to simply consider using the Zest Wellness philosophy of building healthy habits “bit by bit” and get that decent shuteye you deserve!

Want more?

Check out our other Zest sleep-related blogs with great tips for better zzz’s.