By now, you have all probably heard about why we shouldn’t use our phones before bed. This research has been getting increasingly popular over the years, and the findings have largely been the same: you’re not as tired, your anxiety levels increase, and so on and so forth. While this is all true, using your phone before bed does suppress melatonin production and does increase the likelihood you will experience emotion-inducing content. It’s easy for researchers to say, “don’t use your phone an hour before bed,” and click publish. Well, would you prefer me to sit with my thoughts in the darkness for an hour? That’s probably even worse. But there are other things you can do before bed that sleep specialists argue improve sleep quality.
I don’t know about you guys, but I am sick of professionals telling us what not to do. Doing intensive research on things that can negatively impact our lives is very helpful, do not get me wrong. But you cannot expect the general public to stop doing something that has become a part of their routine without giving alternative replacements. I am sure you all are well aware that you shouldn’t be using your phone right before you fall asleep, so in this article, I will offer you some research-based alternatives you may want to use to replace technology.
1. Read a Book!
(My personal favorite)
Reading books before bed has been shown to improve sleep quality, lengthen sleep duration, and ease stress. Think of it as entering a different headspace, somewhere between the real world and the dream world, where you aren’t getting those pesky Snapchat notifications that make or break your mood for the rest of the week.
Audiobooks work too! They have shown similar results to regular books, and they can be very relaxing to listen to.
Personally, I like to read specific genres before bed. Romance, Young Adult, or Fiction genres are always good, low-stress books that won’t keep you up at night.
2. COLOR!
Coloring is a great way to embrace your creativity while relaxing your mind and body. Coloring helps regulate breathing, promotes mindfulness, and relaxes the body. Plus, it’s judgment-free! There is no one there to like or comment on your coloring page.
3. SELF-CARE!
For me, this is the best way to get off and stay off my phone at night. I take nighttime showers, so I know my phone usage will stop for the night the second I step in the shower. Once I get out, I do my self-care routine and go to bed.
Just like the above suggestions, self-care routines have similar side effects when it comes to sleep. This time has been shown to help people de-stress before bed and have a more restful sleep while in bed. Self-care is actually used as a treatment for insomnia in some cases.
I’m not here to tell you what type of self-care to do. Personally, I like skincare. But there are so many options: yoga, weightlifting, meditation, journaling, praying, and more.
4. MUSIC!
There is a way to incorporate technology into your nighttime routine without all the bad side effects. Data shows that listening to music could decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. No more staring at your ceiling for who knows how long. It also, and I know this is repetitive, improves sleep quality, releases stress, and calms the body. Results have been shown to work the best when listening to slower music.
Be careful, though – some people find music to be extremely distracting when they are trying to sleep. I recommend listening to music before you go to bed but, if you get easily distracted, not after.
So, no, you don’t have to pay the price of staring into space and getting lost in thought in exchange for a technology-free night. There are other options that you can indulge in – way more than the four I offered – to entertain yourself before bed that won’t harm your sleep health.