Do you carry your phone to bedroom at bedtime?

raksrules

raksrules

Oracle
I used to doom scroll or watch random youtube videos on my iPad / phone on bed. I knew this is not healthy and can potentially cause addiction and my mind also was getting lot of stimulation just before sleep which I think may be bad. For married folks, this can cause issues in interpersonal relationships too. My wife too does this doom scrolling / videos so that is there too.

But one day I realized I cannot continue this and have to put an end. I knew there would be withdrawal issues and what not. But I was adamant. Also, my phone was used for morning alarm which I used as an excuse to keep the phone in bedroom.
So, to start night detox, I first got a bedside digital clock with alarm function and after checking reviews, even though this one didn't have good reviews, the price was unbeatable. I have to say, I am super satisfied with it. The alarm sound is enough for me to wake up in just few beeps.

Doing this helped me greatly. First few days, I, out of habit took phone in bedroom but now, I make sure it is outside and no longer in bedroom. I don't feel anything missing anymore and can instantly sleep too (never had issues with sleep anyways).

I would really insist people who have habit of doom scrolling in bed to try this out and detoxify yourself a little bit and get a peaceful sleep. I still do this but like once in 2 months when my wife is gone to her home and I need to have access to phone during sleep in case a call comes.
 
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I scroll reddit/TE other forums before going to bed. But never do it for more than 15 mins before going to sleep.
It's good that you've completely eliminated this habit. Maybe I'll also try the same in future.
 
At the end of the day dont have any energy to do anything productive. Desperately stay awake glued to the screen. Sleep late, wake up early, don't have energy to do something productive in the morning as well.

Thankfully it happens in cycles of good sleep days and bad sleep days. Happens when the days are not balanced, and esp on the bad commute days, which is increasing.
 
Bedroom lol I keep it right on my bed bruh just few feet away from me. Just an hour before sleeping I mindlessly scroll through Google feed and whatnot. It's disgusting. I hate myself, but I still do it. Mobile phone is major part why my sleeping time has moved back to like 2 am from 12 am. However, I almost never forget to activate the DND thing along with disabling all connectivity right before actually sleeping.

Awful life.
 
I am not on social media much. I do not have FB, Insta, nor am I subscribed to any of the OTT apps. I usually sleep early, and wake-up early too. But in my experience what helps is my significant other, some good time with the dogs I take care of, some good books, lack of money, and general introversion.

Like @sauravghosh said, my phone and tablets automatically go into DND (Black and white screen, low-power mode, etc) after 1030, and I barely even needed to get them out. Even if I do, the lack of any social media accounts is a blessing. The most I do is read some books on my devices or do a level or two in Duolingo.

The fact that I hate typing on the mobile screens also helps me quite a bit. I am still very much a desktop guy, and the only thing I love as much is a good tablet with a pen input.
 
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Yup. It's a serious issue for me. I find recalling stuff harder.
Thought of selling mobile and use basic keypad phone.
Self improvement is hard
 
msvsme said:
Yup. It's a serious issue for me. I find recalling stuff harder.
Thought of selling mobile and use basic keypad phone.
Self improvement is hard
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Don't go all nuclear. Try what I did and see how it turns out. It will be very difficult at the beginning but gradually you will get used to it.
It is like people starting intermittent fasting. One cannot imagine waking up and not having tea / breakfast and serious withdrawal but as days pass, you get used to it.

Not related but I got for brisk walk every weekday for about 50 Minutes. Earlier I used to only do brisk walk but then started with little jogging here and there, like 4 rounds of garden walk and 1 round jog and so on. It was very difficult to even jog 1 round (which is only 0.15 Kms btw) and I would want to give up. Then I started increasing to 2 rounds and so on and today morning, I was able to jog for continuously 1.25 Kms.
soulweaver said:
I am not on social media much. I do not have FB, Insta, nor am I subscribed to any of the OTT apps. I usually sleep early, and wake-up early too. But in my experience what helps is my significant other, some good time with the dogs I take care of, some good books, lack of money, and general introversion.

Like @sauravghosh said, my phone and tablets automatically go into DND (Black and white screen, low-power mode, etc) after 1030, and I barely even needed to get them out. Even if I do, the lack of any social media accounts is a blessing. The most I do is read some books on my devices or do a level or two in Duolingo.

The fact that I hate typing on the mobile screens also helps me quite a bit. I am still very much a desktop guy, and the only thing I love as much is a good tablet with a pen input.
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I have all those accounts but all are fake, as in using a made up name and email address so I don't have any friends to look at or their "updates" but still instagram reels are hell of an addictive drug. If your significant other helps, nothing like it. We haven't reached there we yet but hoping some day we can. My phone too goes into DND at like 10:30 PM and I have deliberately remained signed out of teams and outlook so as not to look at office stuff.
 
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Completely agree with what @raksrules said. There is no way you are going to handle going nuclear. It is always best to things gradually. Apps with timers can be of great help. If you use an android device, apps like https://github.com/akaMrNagar/Mindful can be of great help. And they allow you to go Nuclear too, without having to ditch your phone.

This app is also on the playstore and has an invincible mode where it will not allow you to change timers on the apps. So you could try somethng like that if you want to see how going nuclear helps!

@msvsme you already realised that something needs to be done. That is step one. You also realised that it is hard, that is step two. So, you will need to take the next few steps of acting on it too. You do know it is hard, so do it slowly. It will be easier. Say two minutes lesser each day will within a month give you an hour more of free time. The hard part is only sticking to decreasing it by two minutes each day.

That is how I actually got to my 3min planks too! 3 seconds each day!
 
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Me and wife enjoy some funny instagram or yt moments on either of our phones and that too ltd. to just 20 mins or so and then its my mails before I put my phone into airplane mode and away from my bed as well.
And this has been my routine since many many yrs now.
So, no phone on or near our beds is the policy we follow.
 
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My phone is next to me. I will usually listen to hour long or longer discussions on topics of interest. Many times I'm out five minutes in or can go longer. When i catch up if I awaken later or the day after. The funny thing is I can remember what was said much after the five minutes. This is not doom scrolling or random videos. Maybe some times but that's an exception.

I don't browse because that's not comfortable. Only listening with the screen off.

If its dark then listen
If its loud then read..
 
Interesting. I barely use my phone. Few calls/messages, order food and use as remote for some PC programs. I never browse on the phone. That said I do keep my phone near me when I sleep though this isn't important, I'd be happy to keep it outside the room, it is simply habbit to plug it in to charge when I go to sleep. On rare occasion I will watch music videos on my phone but not before sleeping. I didn't know people had difficulty/addiction with this, it's never interested me.
 
Decadent_Spectre said:
Interesting. I barely use my phone. Few calls/messages, order food and use as remote for some PC programs. I never browse on the phone. That said I do keep my phone near me when I sleep though this isn't important, I'd be happy to keep it outside the room, it is simply habbit to plug it in to charge when I go to sleep. On rare occasion I will watch music videos on my phone but not before sleeping. I didn't know people had difficulty/addiction with this, it's never interested me.
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Oh boy. You have no idea. People are so addicted they don't even realize when it is 3 Am While they are doom scrolling reels on Instagram. Time just flies.
This is also the reason why it is so difficult to do away with this habit.
This "5 more minutes" easily turn into 2 hours.
 
raksrules said:
Oh boy. You have no idea. People are so addicted they don't even realize when it is 3 Am While they are doom scrolling reels on Instagram. Time just flies.
This is also the reason why it is so difficult to do away with this habit.
This "5 more minutes" easily turn into 2 hours.
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I understand, though this 5 minutes turns into 2 hours only occurred to me when I was a teenager. I will note I am not interested in any social media.
 
All the kids I see these days have mobiles to stop them from crying or from being mischievous.
It's a problem that hasn't been acknowledged or addressed in my area. Most of the parents don't know the consequences of it.
 
raksrules said:
Oh boy. You have no idea. People are so addicted they don't even realize when it is 3 Am While they are doom scrolling reels on Instagram. Time just flies.
This is also the reason why it is so difficult to do away with this habit.
This "5 more minutes" easily turn into 2 hours.
Click to expand...
3am is the usual peoples 11p or 12a for me and it has been more than a decade now. Work timings to be blamed and earlier it was studies and so has the body clock got adopted/adjusted. If I ever try to fall asleep at 12a or anytime before 2a I lose the entire nights sleep. So always better to stick to the routine irrespective of where you are.
msvsme said:
All the kids I see these days have mobiles to stop them from crying or from being mischievous.
It's a problem that hasn't been acknowledged or addressed in my area. Most of the parents don't know the consequences of it.
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Thats because parents also want their share of blue light- insta/tiktok/dating/pron etc.
So, they already have a dedicated phone for their baby where they put on some crap yt video and the baby enjoys it and when they fall asleep their parents dont realize too.
 
raksrules said:
People are so addicted they don't even realize when it is 3 Am While they are doom scrolling reels on Instagram.
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Oh that's why i was unaware of this term. I don't have Instagram installed. The odd time i need to i have to resort to tricks to access insta without being subscribed.


^That is doom scrolling for me
raksrules said:
This is also the reason why it is so difficult to do away with this habit.
This "5 more minutes" easily turn into 2 hours.
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Yeah same problem with that game. You say 5 minutes and then before you realise the sun has risen.
msvsme said:
Most of the parents don't know the consequences of it.
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Peace and quiet?

Oh they know very well :happy:
 
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