The late evening and night is widely considered a crucial time for reflection and recharging, serving as a natural, quiet boundary to process the day’s events and restore physical and mental energy, allowing for self-care and preparation for the next day. As the external world slows down for the 9-to-5 (or close to it) crowd, people are supposed to transition from active “doing” to introspective “being”. Sure, things can get in the way of this worthy mission, be making multiple dinners for fickle family members, or settling household disputes between kids (et cetera), but there is one activity that is superseding much-needed downtime that is essentially voluntary – scrolling one’s smartphone. According to various studies, It’s something that more than half of Americans report that they do at night, with the majority acknowledging that it’s an unhealthy practice.
By now, practically everyone has heard how blue light emitting smartphones disrupt circadian rhythms. Most have also read accounts of how exposure to online content may elevate negative feelings and emotions that harm sleep. You already know this. As someone who arrived here after searching “how to stop scrolling at night”, what you want, is insight into what can be done to correct the behavior. Please keep reading.
6 Powerful Things to Help You Control the Urge to Scroll Social Media, Newsfeeds, and Your Phone at Night
I. Observe Emotions That May Lead to Scrolling
Among the signs and symptoms of problem smartphone use (PSU), is the act of scrolling through social media content and newsfeeds to avoid negative feelings and emotions. Anxiety is often most commonly experienced at night, peaking due to reduced daily distractions, accumulated stress, and hormonal shifts such as elevated cortisol. Emotions to watch for that may contribute to night-scrolling behavior may include the following:
- Feelings of anxiety, stress, rumination, and racing thoughts (view more).
- Feelings of anticipatory anxiety (view more).
- Feelings of grief, sadness, and depression.
- Feelings of guilt about a lack of productivity during the day.
- Feelings of guilt about taking time to relax, even after a productive day.
By gaining awareness of what these are, you may identify that intervention from a professional may be required (more on this in the final section).
II. Take Inventory of What You’re Scrolling
The content that you’re scrolling through very likely factors into the uncontrollable urge to look at your smartphone at night.
Negative content, for instance, is associated with compulsive scrolling behavior. Researchers from UC San Diego report that negative content is addictive because humans possess an evolutionary “negativity bias,” that causes the brain to prioritize potential threats for survival. This doomscrolling activates the amygdala to scan for danger, while the brain’s reward system releases dopamine when uncovering new, albeit distressing, information. View more on the dopamine-loop associated with doomscrolling, right here.
What about content that makes you smile and giggle? While certainly healthier than exposure to anxiety-inducing negative content at night, scrolling through positive content – sometimes called joyscrolling – can also be highly addictive. As with negative content, the brain’s reward system reacts to enjoyable content, novel information, and unpredictability of delivery. It triggers dopamine releases that keep you hooked, leading to involuntary, repetitive consumption of short-form videos and posts.
The moral of the story, so to speak, is that all forms of engaging content can create a dopamine loop that can dupe your brain into thinking it’s doing something worthwhile, and keep you scrolling into the wee hours of night. For this reason, adherence to the recommendations below will be highly beneficial.
III. Establish a Household No-Phone Rule 2-Hours Before Bed
Implementing a no-phone rule two hours before bed is an effective strategy to combat late-night scrolling and improve sleep quality by eliminating high-energy screen stimulation and blue light exposure. 30–60 minutes may be the common recommendation, but a two-hour buffer is ideal for allowing the brain to switch from an alert state to a restful one.
It’s important to make this a household rule (where applicable) instead of just a rule for yourself. For one, night-scrolling is an unhealthy habit for anyone, so it makes sense to protect the wellness of loved ones. Further, you are more likely to abstain from night-scrolling when it’s a shared experience. Not only may you supplant night-scrolling with quality time with a companion, spouse, or other family member, you gain an accountability partner to reciprocally keep one another on track.
IV. Keep Phones Outside of Comfy Zones
One of the most recommended tips to help people control the urge to use their phone prior to sleep is to not keep it within reach of their bed. That means no phone on the bedside table, or in the bedroom altogether. However, this article is about how to stop scrolling at night, which during certain times of the year may encompass many hours before bedtime. These after-work / after-study hours are intended for reflection and relaxation, be it on the living room sofa, cozy nook, or patio hammock. These spaces are also where people give in to the urge to scroll. How often do you observe yourself and loved ones pick up the phone when the intent was to kick back to watch something on TV or read a magazine? It happens all too often, right?
Make all areas intended for reflection and relaxation no-phone zones for when after the sun sets.
V. Replace it with Healthier Alternatives
There’s nothing wrong with a couple of hours of “tube time” to enjoy your favorite series (feel free to share recommendations with us via DM!). However, that too may become an issue for certain individuals, so be mindful not to replace night-scrolling with unhealthy binge-watching (view more). Instead, focus your evening attention towards activities that promote positive reflection and calmness.
Typically, experts recommend replacing excessive smartphone use with other, healthier, activities that also produce dopamine. While beneficial, you may not want a spike of dopamine too close to bedtime. Dopamine generally promotes wakefulness, alertness, and energy, rather than relaxation.
Here’s where things get a little complex, but bear with us as a solution is forthcoming.
Instead of high-level dopamine producing activities, focus on serotonin producing activities. But this must be done in the early evening, as serotonin generally promotes wakefulness and alertness rather than directly causing sleepiness. Serotonin is, however, necessary for producing melatonin (the sleep hormone) which you do want elevated levels of prior to sleep. We told you it was complex. So in essence, seek out calming activities that produce light to moderate levels of serotonin early in the evening. Examples include the following:
- Read a few chapters: Research confirms that reading an engaging work of fiction can produce serotonin while indirectly increasing melatonin by reducing stress.
- Flip through a coffee table book: Browsing a coffee table book can produce serotonin and improve nighttime mood through a combination of sensory pleasure and aesthetic appreciation. It’s less “intensive” than reading a novel, per se, so cognitive stimulation (which may energize you a little too much before sleep) is mitigated.
- Write in a journal: The act of writing, particularly in a consistent or reflective manner (e.g. keeping a daily journal) acts as a therapeutic outlet that lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and triggers serotonin releases that foster emotional stability at night.
- Work on your art: Working on creative activities (drawing, painting, sculpting, etc.) is scientifically proven to produce serotonin, along with other endorphins that are generally beneficial for nighttime calm.
- Mindful meditation: Research shows that routine mindful meditation increases serotonin levels, enhances mood, and reduces stress that may otherwise tempt someone into night-scrolling.
Enjoy these until about an hour before bed, then wind down without any activity, beyond the one we move you towards below.
VI. The Final Countdown : Hygiene Routine
You’ve almost made it to bed without scrolling. There’s just one “activity” left to do that will help you abstain and produce that oh-so sweet melatonin – a bedtime hygiene routine. The Sleep Foundation reports that a pre-bed hygiene routine is a highly effective, evidence-based strategy for improving sleep quality by signaling to the body that it is time to transition from a state of alertness to rest. Engaging in a consistent, calming ritual of bathing/showering, brushing teeth, and attending to skincare for 30-to-60 minutes before bed can train your brain to release melatonin and reduce stress. Deep engagement will also keep you from reaching for your mobile device, so be sure to make the bathroom a no-phone zone too.
Work Counseling Into Your Routine
The trend towards addictive and unhealthy behaviors and dependencies continues to grow as the Internet-of-Things delivers new technologies to the masses. Whether recognizing a behavioral or mental health issue related to the use of your smartphone or some other web-enabled platform, Kindbridge is here for you.
As America’s leading provider of counseling services to help people break free from digital dependencies and cooccurring issues, we are uniquely qualified to assist with your pledge to stop unhealthy scrolling at night. Additionally, given the flexibility of our virtual counseling platform, you can schedule weekly sessions in the evening as a part of your new routine. Reach out via the contacts provided below to develop the skills needed for healthier online behavior.
