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Screen downtime allows you to essentially set a curfew for your phone.
But over Christmas, my carefully developed sleep cycle went badly off track.
With screen limits removed, I don’t have the willpower to step away from my phone.
First and foremost, it acts as a reminder of the time.
When Im locked out of my phone, I know I need to go to bed.
Otherwise, I find it all too easy to lose sight of the minutes ticking away to endless scrolling.
Abandoning good habits ruined my sleep
So, how did I ruin my sleep over Christmas?
Simple: I turned downtime off.
As my late-night blurry-eyed scrolls proved, I did not.
Over the break, I didn’t really notice an issue.
After all, who doesn’t enjoy a few lazy lie-ins between Christmas and the New Year?
And now I’ve learned the hard way that abandoning mysleep hygienewill ruin my sleep cycle.
Here’s how I’m getting it back on track.
Re-instate screen downtime
This is the obvious first step and a good one.
Downtime limits wont work for everyone (theyre pretty easy to get around.)
But if you struggle to say goodnight to your phone, I recommend giving them a go.
But however painful that 6.30am alarm was, it was necessary for getting my sleep back on track.
And it means I want to go to bed earlier than the late nights of Christmas break.
Even if it doesnt feel pleasant at the time.
Given the chance to waste time on my phone, I left my good habits behind.
So it might be time to re-think how I relax in the evening.
Here are some other tips for getting better sleep:
