Scrolling on your phone before bed makes you fall asleep later, blocks melatonin production, and causes lighter sleep, even if you don’t feel tired the next day. Here’s what happens to your body and how to stop it.
The Problem With Scrolling Before Bed
“I’m just going to read this one last blog post” turns into hours HOURS of scrolling through Instagram or TikTok before bed. Your phone screen emits blue light, which reduces melatonin production and makes you feel more awake. Fewer amounts of melatonin can confuse your body’s internal clock into thinking it should be sleeping later at night.
Plus, whatever you’re looking at keeps your brain aroused and begging for dopamine. Your brain thinks there’s always something new to see when you just swipe left or right, which makes it difficult to stop scrolling. Instead of relaxing your mind before bed, you’re telling your body to stay alert.
Scrolling before bed effects:
- Taking longer to fall asleep: You toss and turn before falling asleep longer than you should.
- Lighter sleep: Your sleep is lighter throughout the night, causing you to wake up more (without even realizing it).
- Tiredness the next day: Your body doesn’t feel fully rested when you wake up, causing you to feel groggy and unfocused with mood swings.
- Your skin pays the price: Not getting enough sleep at night has been proven to leave your skin dull, puffy, and with slower repair time. Yes, that means scrolling before bed can make your skin age faster.
- Long-term stress: Regular scrolling before bed can cause increased stress hormones in the long run and screw with your circadian rhythms.
How to STOP Scrolling Before Bed (& Actually Stick To It)
1. Put your phone away 30-45 minutes before bed.
2. Put your phone on Night Mode a few hours before bed rather than right when you get into bed.
3. Charge your phone outside of your bedroom so it’s the last thing you look at at night.
4. Create a relaxing routine to do rather than scrolling on your phone. Read a book, write in a journal, or do your nighttime skincare.
5. Dim the lights in your house an hour before bed to allow your body to naturally produce melatonin.
The Bottom Line
Even though you may think reading those Buzzfeed articles or watching Netflix before bed is relaxing for your mind, your body is actually interpreting this as a signal to stay awake. Implementing some simple routines like putting your phone away before bed and having a nighttime skincare routine can help you feel (and look) more rested in the morning.
