Is screentime actually ruining a good night’s sleep?
Ahhh sleep. That thing so many of us have a love/hate relationship with.
When we spend one third of our life sleeping, why do some of us find it so hard to do!
Even those of us who are naturally good at nodding off can still wake up feeling exhausted as though those eight precious hours didn’t do a thing.
A recent study, Sealy’s Global Sleep Survey, found that while more than half (55%) of Kiwis are getting the recommended seven to eight hours sleep a night, 60% wake up feeling unrested at least five days a week.
This is even worse for Gen Z. Almost 3 out of 4 (71%) of under 25s experience problems getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking up too early at least once a week.
We are always aiming for a good night’s rest but there is one key factor that is keeping us up: screens.
According to the study, the more often someone sleeps near their phone, the less likely they are to wake feeling refreshed and well-rested.
This trend is troubling, with 65% of New Zealanders leaving their mobile phones close to their bed while they sleep. This statistic is also much higher for Gen Z with 87% of you all tucked up with your phone.
Not only do you keep them nearby but 83% of you use them before going to sleep too.
Multiple studies of teens have shown that exposure to screens in the evening disrupts sleep.
It’s all about that blue light which stimulates the part of the brain suppresses production of melatonin, making it hard to wind down and fall asleep.
If this sounds like you, don’t worry you’re not alone.
We here at Billie are SUPER guilty of scrolling TikTok right before we go to sleep. When we make an effort to put our phone away earlier and unwind by reading instead, we notice a huge difference in the quality of our sleep.
So what can we do to make a positive difference in our sleep? Dr Kimberly has some thoughts.
Dr Kimberly Falconer is a registered Clinical Psychologist and a member of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists. She is experienced in working with clients of all ages and has specific expertise in helping clients manage sleep issues.
In addition to ensuring you have a quality bed that provides the correct level of support and comfort for you and your needs, Dr Kimberly Falconer shares her four key tips Kiwis can start right now to help reset their sleep:
Stick to a regular wake up time and try not to vary this across the week or weekend. This helps to support a healthy circadian rhythm and biological clock. Regular mealtimes also support this.
Try to ensure you are doing enough in the day to support a strong sleep drive. Regular exercise and activity, and the avoidance of daytime sleeping is key.
Use light to your advantage to ensure your natural melatonin is optimal and supports good sleep at the end of the day. Get into the light as soon as you wake up and avoid light towards the end of the day. The caveman approach here is a principle we can somewhat hark back to.
Artificial light is exactly that – artificial. So be mindful of limiting screen use and blue light in the lead up to bed, as it will inhibit your natural melatonin production and hamper your chances of a good night’s sleep.
Wanna start ditching those devices before bed? While the ultimate would be no screens/devices 1-2 hours before bedtime, that’s not going to happen over night. Dr Kimberly says that in clinical practice she would help clients think about transitional steps that are more easier to get to that level.
Here’s how she recommends to ditch the phone before bed:
For example, the first step might be putting your phone on silent and placing it across the bedroom rather than on your bedside table where it can be an easy distraction.
Be mindful and sensible about not just the quantity and timing of the device use, but also the quality of what you are doing on your phone and the level of stimulation it is creating just before bed so perhaps less TikTok dances and true crime and more ASMR. We personally recommend Cat Spa ASMR 😻
Find an addictive book that you can’t help but dive into every night.
Carve out some time for self-care. Spend a little bit of extra time popping on a face mask, some relaxing tunes and lie down and treat it like a mini spa moment.
We hope these tips help you drift off to a healthier, better night’s sleep!
If you are off to uni or ready for a bigger bed, understand what bed is right for you through the Sealy Bed Selector tool or discover more insights from the Sleep Census.
