Loading…
6
My experiment with no screens before bed totally backfired
I stopped using my phone an hour before sleep to see if it helped. Instead of falling asleep faster, I just lay there bored and anxious. Now I'm scrolling more than ever just to calm down. Is it really worth it if it makes you stress about sleep? Sometimes these hacks feel like they create more problems.
7 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In7 Comments
seanc737mo ago
Ever notice how trying to fix a problem can become the problem?
7
simon_jackson817mo ago
Yeah, that sudden quiet thing is real. My brain would start yelling about nothing, like if I left the stove on or why I said that dumb thing in 2012. What finally worked was switching my phone for a boring podcast played super low. Something about a calm voice talking about history or whatever gives my brain just enough to grab onto so it stops spinning its own awful stories. It's like a gentle off-ramp instead of slamming on the brakes.
4
blair_williams7mo ago
When you say you were just lying there anxious, what were you actually thinking about? Were you stressing about the next day, or was it the quiet itself that felt weird? Maybe the problem isn't screens, but going from constant noise to total silence too fast.
2
hayden_roberts847mo ago
Heard my buddy tried ditching his phone before bed, said the silence felt like physical pressure in his ears. His brain started looping random garbage like whether he overwatered his plant or if he forgot to buy more toothpaste. He said it wasn't about big problems, just this frantic mental scroll through every tiny undone thing. Ended up more wired than if he'd just watched a dumb video for a bit. Makes total sense that you gotta step down the noise slowly instead of slamming the door shut.
8
the_mary7mo ago
Exactly, it's like the quiet gets too loud somehow? Karenbailey is onto something with the brain stress thing. Last night I was just staring at the ceiling for an hour, and my brain wouldn't shut up about stupid stuff, like did I send that email or what if the car makes that noise again. It wasn't even big worries. When there's no noise to drown it out, every little thought just echoes. Maybe we need to wind down slower, like turning the volume on life down bit by bit instead of just hitting mute.
3