Like many of us, Jessica Peoples has heard the warnings about excessive screen time at night. Still, she estimates spending 30 to 60 minutes on her phone before going to sleep, mostly scrolling through social media.

害羞草研究所淩ecently, I害羞草研究所檝e been trying to limit the amount,害羞草研究所� says Peoples, a discrimination investigator with the state of New Jersey. 害羞草研究所淚 do notice that how much time I spend affects .害羞草研究所�

Over half of Americans spend time on their phones within an hour of going to sleep, according to a . That害羞草研究所檚 the very latest we should shut off devices, experts say.

The brain needs to wind down long before bedtime to get the restorative deep sleep that helps the body function, said Melissa Milanak, an associate professor at Medical University of South Carolina specializing in sleep health.

害羞草研究所淵ou wouldn害羞草研究所檛 take a casserole out of the oven and stick it right in the fridge. It needs to cool down,害羞草研究所� Milanak said. 害羞草研究所淥ur brains need to do that too.害羞草研究所�

Upending your bedtime routine may not be easy, but insufficient sleep has long been linked to , and . are particularly disruptive to the circadian clock that regulates sleep and other hormones.

害羞草研究所淭here are a million and one ways screens create problems with sleep,害羞草研究所� said Lisa Strauss, a licensed psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral treatment of sleep disorders.

The brain, she said, processes electric light 害羞草研究所� not just a smartphone害羞草研究所檚 much-maligned blue light 害羞草研究所� as sunshine. That suppresses melatonin production, delaying deep sleep. Even very little bright-light exposure in bed has an impact.

IT害羞草研究所橲 NOT JUST THE LIGHT THAT KEEPS YOU UP

Of course, doomscrolling through the news, checking emails or being tempted by ever more tailored videos on social media has its own consequences.

So-called 害羞草研究所渢echnostress害羞草研究所� amps you up 害羞草研究所� possibly even triggering the brain害羞草研究所檚 flight or flight response. And algorithms designed to be engaging compel many social media users to scroll longer than they intended.

害羞草研究所淣ow it害羞草研究所檚 30 minutes later, when you wanted to watch a couple videos and fall asleep,害羞草研究所� Milanak said.

Though much of the scientific research on online media , Strauss said most of her clients struggling with insomnia are middle-aged. 害羞草研究所淧eople go down these rabbit holes of videos, and more and more people are getting hooked,害羞草研究所� she said.

HOW TO BREAK THE HABIT

The issue is not just curtailing phone use in bed, but phone use at night. That means redesigning your routine, particularly if you use your phone as a way to decompress.

It helps to create replacement behaviors that are rewarding. An obvious contender is reading a physical book (e-readers are better than phones but still cast artificial light). Milanak also suggests using that hour before bed to take a warm bath, listen to a podcast, make school lunches for the next day, spend time with family or call a relative in another time zone.

害羞草研究所淢ake a list of things you like that never get done. That害羞草研究所檚 a great time to do stuff that doesn害羞草研究所檛 involve screens,害羞草研究所� she said. Using a notepad to write down the to-do list for the next day helps keep you from ruminating in bed.

Do those activities in another room to train yourself to associate the bed with falling asleep. If there害羞草研究所檚 no other private refuge at home, 害羞草研究所渆stablish a distinct microenvironment for wakefulness and sleep,害羞草研究所� Strauss said. That could mean sitting on the other side of the bed to read, or even just turning the other way around with your feet at the headboard.

Finally, sequester the phone in another room, or at least across the room. 害羞草研究所淓nvironmental control can work better than will power, especially when we害羞草研究所檙e tired,害羞草研究所� she said.

WHAT IF STOPPING DOESN害羞草研究所橳 FEEL REALISTIC?

There are ways to reduce the harm. Setting the phone on night mode at a scheduled time every day is better than nothing, as is reducing screen brightness every night. Hold the phone far from your face and at an oblique angle to minimize the strength of the light.

Minimize tempting notifications by putting the phone on do not disturb, which can be adjusted to allow calls and messages from certain people 害羞草研究所� say, an ailing parent or a kid off at university 害羞草研究所� to go through. But none of these measures give you carte blanche to look at whatever you want at night, Strauss said.

She also recommended asking yourself why checking social media has become your late-night reward.

害羞草研究所淭hink about the larger structure of the day,害羞草研究所� she said. Everyone deserves solitary moments to relax, but 害羞草研究所渕aybe be more self-indulgent earlier so you have what you need.害羞草研究所�