For those wondering, “Is it bad to sleep next to your phone?”-- the short answer is yes.

While it might seem harmless to keep your phone by your side at night, this habit can really impact your health and sleep quality more than you realize.

I mean, these days, our phones are rarely out of arm's reach, even when we're in bed. But sleeping next to your phone, especially if it's under your pillow or right next to your head, can lead to restless or worse, sleepless nights.

In this piece, we'll take a look at how sleeping with your phone can affect everything from your brain activity to your sleep patterns and overall well-being.

Before we deep dive into the 5 side effects of using your phone at night, let’s examine the connection between sleep and phone radiation.

Does Phone Radiation Affect Sleep?

Yes, phone radiation can indeed affect sleep. How? The electromagnetic radiation emitted by phones can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone essential for sleep regulation.

A recent study even found that radiation emitted by mobile phones can lead to sleep disruptions and reductions, as well as headaches and confusion.

Sleeping next to your phone can impact your rest since the gentle vibrations of notifications and the screen's light may disturb your sleeping habits.

Well, the not-so-great news is that hidden behind these disruptions is a more harmful problem: electromagnetic fields (EMF). Studies show that the electromagnetic fields (EMF) given off by phones could disrupt the brain's capacity to enter into deep, restorative sleep stages.

Imagine trying to relax in a room with blinking lights. First, it's distracting and makes relaxation near-impossible. Similarly, sleeping with your phone near your head might keep your brain alert, preventing you from entering the deep sleep phase that your body needs to recharge.

So, how do you improve your sleep quality?

Consider keeping your phone at a good distance, perhaps across the room, ensuring it's not the last thing you interact with before bed.

Guess what? This small change can make a big difference in achieving the kind of sleep that refreshes and re-energizes you for the next day.

Where Should You Keep Your Phone While Sleeping?

It’s best to keep your phone at least a few feet away from your bed, ideally outside the bedroom or on a dresser far from your head.

Placing your phone across the room minimizes potential disruptions from notifications and reduces exposure to electromagnetic fields, which could impact your sleep quality.

Going through nights without the temptation to check one last message or scroll through social media is the goal here. This practice helps promote better sleep and strengthens good digital habits, contributing to your overall well-being and a healthier relationship with technology.

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5 Side Effects of Using Phone at Night

Using your phone at night can have several unintended side effects that disrupt your sleep, health, and happiness.

Here are 5 hard-to-ignore reasons why you should rethink that late-night scroll:

1. Disturbed Sleep Cycle: The blue light emitted by screens can stand in the way of melatonin production, the hormone that signals your body it's time to sleep. This disruption can delay sleep onset and reduce the overall quality of rest.
2. Increased Eye Fatigue: Prolonged exposure to screen light at night can lead to eye strain, followed by dry, itchy eyes and blurred vision, which can make falling asleep more challenging.
3. Increased Feelings of Worry and Tension: Engaging with content on social media or news feeds can keep your mind active and alert, leading to increased anxiety and making it harder to wind down before bed.
4. Decreased REM Sleep: Sleeping with your phone near your head and being exposed to alerts throughout the night can break up your sleep, particularly reducing the amount of restorative REM sleep you achieve.
5. Dependency and Regular Wakefulness: Over time, the habit of checking your phone can lead to sleep disturbances where you wake up routinely to check notifications, creating a cycle of sleep disruption.

So, how do you enjoy a good night’s rest without interruptions?

Consider setting boundaries around phone use before bed. Simple adjustments, like turning off notifications and keeping your phone physically away from the bed, can significantly enhance the quality of your sleep and, by extension, your quality of life.

How to Sleep with Phone Safely?

To sleep safely with your phone, keep it at a distance, ideally on a nightstand across the room, and switch it to airplane mode to reduce electromagnetic emissions.

Even if we can't always leave our phones outside the bedroom (easier said than done. right?), we can at least minimize their impact on our sleep. So, here's how to keep your nighttime companion without sacrificing sleep quality:

First off, switch your phone to airplane or do not disturb mode to cut down on radiation and disruptions.

Also consider using a blue light filter or setting your device on a warm light setting in the evenings to reduce blue light exposure, which interferes with melatonin production.

And…if you must have your phone closer, like on a nightstand, place it face down to avoid light flashes from notifications lighting up the room.

Setting these boundaries transforms your bedroom into a sanctuary for sleep, and not an extension of your daytime tech sessions.

This way, you can keep your phone nearby for peace of mind without letting it disrupt your much-needed rest.

Win-win for all parties, right? Exactly!

Conclusion:

Final verdict? Sleeping with your phone can negatively impact both your health and the quality of your sleep. The blue light and frequent notifications can interrupt your sleep pattern and reduce the quality of your rest, period.

When you look back on your experience sleeping with your phone, you’ll find that the benefits of keeping your devices near you at night are outweighed by the negative impact on your sleep quality.

The interference by your devices on your regular sleep cycle and the potential risks of prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields should be sufficient reasons to avoid using your phone, especially before going to bed.

If you value a good night’s sleep, (who doesn’t, right?) then consider making your bedroom a phone-free zone, or at least set boundaries on how and when to use your device before bedtime.

Simple changes like adjusting your screen time habits and controlling your exposure to blue light can really improve your sleep quality and, of course, your overall well-being.

The goal isn’t just more sleep but better sleep guys! So, prioritizing good sleep hygiene might mean rethinking where your phone fits into your nighttime routine.

Smart Tip: Looking for a smart way to ditch the phones at bedtime? Then wear the Bía Smart Sleep Mask. Why? Bia goes into Airplane Mode automatically once you put it on your head keeping you free of EMFs. Bía is also helps you fall asleep faster, maximize deep sleep, and enjoy the best waking-up experience of your life with a transition from 100% blackout to personalized sunrise inside your mask.

I mean, if you can’t see or hear the notifications from your phone, you won’t be tempted to engage, right? Now, you get it!