Why Using Your Phone in Bed Hurts Your Sleep, even on a Great Custom Mattress

We’ve all experienced the moment when it’s time for bed, the lights are off, and you decide that it couldn’t hurt to take a quick peek at social media on your phone before you hit the hay. Then, before you know it, you’re 3 hours down a TikTok or Reddit rabbit hole and your plan for a full night of restful sleep has been ruined. But what is it about a quick glance at our phones that seems to tell our brains, “Hey, stay awake!” even when we’re tired?

The Dreaded Blue Light

You guessed it! The answer is that our electronic devices produce a blue wavelength that disrupts our sleep-wake cycle by convincing our brains that it’s still daytime. This artificial blue light also prevents a person’s body from releasing enough of the hormone melatonin, which is a crucial step in the process of falling asleep. Once your circadian rhythm has been disrupted, it can unfortunately become difficult to resynchronize. Even though sinking into your own familiar bed should tell your mind it’s time to drop off, the blue light is actively working against you.

And if on top of that your sleep environment is uncomfortable, including your bedding and your mattress, you are more likely to be awake and restless at night — and more tempted to check your phone at 2 AM. That blue light and all those “likes” mean that you’re not only messing with your circadian rhythm, but you’re also likely low-key addicted to reaching for your phone if you’re having a hard time getting to sleep.

That’s the opposite of a virtuous cycle, since you’re grabbing for the thing that’s hurting your sleep in the first place. Even if you’ve got a comfortable mattress customized to your own unique needs, reaching for your phone is a habit that needs breaking.

Melatonin Aids Sleep and Overall Health

All of this can have a huge impact on our health, particularly for children and teens. There have been several studies linking repeatedly delayed or diminished release of melatonin to depression, cancer, and obesity. Currently, everything from our phones to our TV’s emits blue light, and these devices therefore have a real negative impact on our sleep and long-term health, particularly when used right before going to bed.

How You Can Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

This is simultaneously the hard part and the easy part. Limiting your screen time in the evening and creating a mandatory cutoff point for when electronics have to be powered down can help you (or your children) curb the amount of blue light you are exposed to prior to sleep. Power down at least one to two hours before bedtime so your body has a chance to start producing melatonin. You can also buy some new light bulbs that do not emit blue light, and install them in the bedroom to ensure a blue light-free area.

Get Comfy with Custom Sheets

It’s also important to make sure you understand what environment your body prefers when you are falling asleep. Do you easily get hot and need a particularly cold room? If so, you can buy high-quality cotton sheets that are breathable, moisture-wicking, and most importantly, will not retain the heat your body gives off while sleeping.

And of course, the most vital component of having a healthy sleep environment is owning a comfortable mattress that is tailored to your specific needs. How firm do you like your mattress to be? If you’re waking up with backaches in the middle of the night or getting up with joint pain, it’s clear that your current mattress is not meeting your needs.

Customize Your Sleep on a Bespoke Mattress

Another common problem is having a mattress that doesn’t work with your bed frame, especially if you’ve got something other than a stock standard bed. For example, it’s common for college dorm beds to have extremely tall frames, so adding a tall mattress means it’s difficult for shorter students to even get on their beds. All in all, not very conducive to a positive sleep space.

Also, a mattress that’s not fit properly to a bed frame, like an antique bed frame or a sofa bed, will slide around when you move at night and lead to further disruptions in your sleep cycle. If that’s the case for you, consider buying a custom sized mattress that is made with your preferences in mind and to your bed frame’s exact size specifications.

And it’s not just about size, but construction as well. It’s important to have a mattress with customized ergonomics and quality construction. Bespoke mattresses are by far the best option, as they’re built by hand and not a product of a machined facility. Having a custom mattress isn’t about luxury – it’s about self-care. Getting a sound sleep on a made-to-fit memory foam or latex mattress will set you up for successful sleep.

Try Other Activities in the Bedroom

Before phones and computers were portable enough to take into bed, there were still things people did in order to calm down and relax before sleeping. Even if you think that you need to do some scrolling or send off a few last messages before you sleep in order to settle down, there are options.

Reading, for example, is never a bad idea. A book or a magazine could help you drift off easily, while a little bit of journaling is just the old-school equivalent of posting on socials or your blog. Even yoga could be an excellent idea to settle both mind and body, and there are even a variety of yoga poses you can do in bed.

If All Else Fails, Try a Technology-Free Bedroom

If your bed is already comfortable, then making simple changes like buying a separate alarm clock rather than using an app on your phone to wake up in the morning will help prevent you from becoming dependent on having your phone right by your bed.

It’s much easier to resist the temptation of checking your phone if it is plugged in across the room from you, but if you still can’t resist, then you can mandate that the bedroom be a technology-free space. This can seem like a tall order, but you’re sure to notice an improvement in the quality of your sleep if you follow through! 

If you want a custom mattress to help you sleep through the night, you can find one online. All you need is a few measurements and to know what type of bed you want.