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After years of having my sleep disrupted with technology, I’ve successfully set boundaries. My gadgets now support my sleep goals, and I often wake up feeling more refreshed than before.
1Buying a Sunrise Alarm Clock
In 2021, I switched from using my smartphone as an alarm to my iPad because I didn’t want to see notifications first thing in the morning. After a year of using my tablet as an alarm, I sought an alternative that didn’t involve a mobile device.
I thenbought a sunrise alarm clock, and it was one of my best-ever tech purchases. The clock’s light slowly increases from 30 minutes before my alarm onward, making it easier to wake up. I often wake up before my alarm, but even when I don’t, it sounds better than an iPhone or iPad.
My sunrise alarm clock is especially useful in the winter. I live in Northern Europe, and the sun doesn’t rise before 08:00 from November through early February. Having artificial light makes me feel more alert.Sunlight lamps are another option for during the day.
You can tweak your clock’s light strength to meet your sensitivity levels. I normally set 8 or 9/10 as the maximum. While asleep, I also dim the time light to avoid being woken up.
2Setting Up Sleep Mode on My iPhone
Although I’m normally good at not checking my devices before bed, I sometimes get caught up in conversations and content consumption. Enabling Sleep Mode automatically forces me to put my phone down and get ready for sleep. It’s a great way tomaximize iPhone’s Focus Modes.
I set my sleeping pattern from 22:00 to 06:00, but I normally go to bed at 21:00 and wake up between 04:30 and 05:00. So, for flexibility, I set my wind-down to 90 minutes before bed and try to avoid screens altogether an hour prior to sleeping.
I normally block notifications from all apps and people with Sleep Mode. However, you can customize these if important individuals need a way to contact you. Although you can show silenced notifications on your Lock Screen, I normally keep this toggle switched off.
To begin with, I suggest enabling Sleep Mode every day of the week to build up the habit. You can later decide if you want to be more flexible on weekends. My times are somewhat extreme; I suggest 30 minutes, so you stick to the habit.
3Content Consumption Boundaries
Some forms of content affect my sleep more than others, so I attempt to set even firmer boundaries with these. For example, an irritating post on social media is almost guaranteed to ruin my night’s sleep if I see it in the evening.
YouTube videos are another example. Even if I watch something educational, my brain is activated. So, I normally try to avoid watching any video content at least two hours before bed and adopt a “no technology allowed” policy for my room.
I useOpalto limit my screen time for YouTube and Instagram. I can only access these apps for 30 minutes per day, and even then, the app only lets me spend 15 minutes on distracting apps at most. Iwaste less time on social media as a byproduct, which also helps improve my sleep quality.
Besides placing app restrictions, I curate my feeds as much as possible. For example, I’ve muted almost everyone’s Stories on Instagram. I have alsochanged my Explore Pageby marking provocative posts as Not Interested.
4Getting Softer Lights in the House
After experimenting with different bulbs, I realized that softer lighting significantly improved my sleep. I’ve now changed most of my ceiling and desk lamps and sometimes use candles. I’m often forced to use brighter lights when I stay in hotels, and the difference is always noticeable.
Having spots of light also helps because I can control the room’s brightness before bed. I recommend getting a lamp with adjustable brightness. you may usesmart lighting tools, but you don’t need them.
Before changing every light in your house, I recommend experimenting with one room. Alternatively, you’re able to buy a bedside lamp and see if it makes a difference.
5Enabling Night Shift in the Afternoon
We get seven hours of daylight in the winter where I live, compared to over 17 in the summer. So, the “Sunset to Sunrise” Night Shift feature only works in March and September. Throughout the rest of the year, I manually change the times.
I enable Night Shift on my devices in the winter from 15:00 onward. In the summer, I turn it on from 17:00. Before I started doing this, I’d see blue light in the lead-up to my bedtime, which ruined my sleep.
Enabling True Tone has been just as important, if not more so. I only turn these features off if I need to see my screen colors properly (e.g. when editing photos).
6Setting a “Get Into Bed” Alarm
One of the easiest ways to establish a consistent sleep schedule is to get into bed at the same time each day. I’ve set up a “get into bed alarm” on my iPad that tells me when I should start winding down.
I set this at the same time that Sleep Mode turns on, making it easy to unplug. When in bed, I usually read a book for about 30 minutes. I’m then ready to fall asleep. I personally prefer physical books as Kindles and other tablets make me feel worse before bed. But, you might have a different experience so I recommend experimenting.
Technology can help you sleep better when used correctly, but you need to know how to set boundaries. Blocking apps and curating your content consumption is a start.
