It seems like common knowledge that the glaring blue light from smartphones interferes with falling asleep Light is necessary to greet the morning, so of course bright smartphone screens are the cause of restless nights

However, according to a recent study by the analytical website The Conversation, your bedtime smartphone habit may not be as disruptive to sleep as you think According to the study, blue light may delay your sleep, but probably for no more than three minutes

Good sleep hygiene doesn't require 30 minutes (or more) of doom scrolling in your pajamas, but it doesn't require locking your phone in the safe with your caffeine In this guide, we explore what blue light is and why smartphones keep you awake It also offers tips on how to better incorporate your smartphone into your bedtime routine

If blue light isn't the cause of your restless nights, it may be your bed that's preventing you from sleeping, and our 2024 Best Mattress Guide will help you find the perfect sleeping environment for your needs But first, let's explore how much exposure to light, which is closely related to your sleep cycle, affects your sleep

Too much light inhibits the secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin, making it difficult to fall asleep Conversely, bright sunlight in the morning helps us wake up refreshed

Where does blue light fit in? The most common source of blue light is the sun, which has the highest energy and shortest wavelength in the visible light spectrum When blue light hits the eye's sensors, it is recognized as a signal to alert, arouse, and suppress melatonin

Other sources of blue light include LED screens and smartphones The light sensors in our eyes cannot tell the difference between artificial blue light and the brightly shining sun, so they recognize this as a signal to wake us up as well No wonder we think smartphones are a bad idea at bedtime

Smartphones emit blue light, blue light suppresses melatonin, and we cannot sleep without melatonin - at least, this is the widely believed order of things However, a recent scientific review casts doubt on this perception

The review examined 78 independent studies with a total of 118,370 participants to see what the data actually say about technology and our sleep The results were startling

The review found that in 11 different experimental studies, using blue light before bed increased the time to fall asleep by an average of only 27 minutes This is not an insignificant amount of time, but it does mean that blue light is not responsible for the 30 minutes you spend tossing and turning

The review notes that some studies have observed an association between screen use and lower melatonin levels, but it does not necessarily correlate with lying awake This may be due to the relative brightness of the smartphone

In direct sunlight, you may be exposed to 32,000 to 100,000 lux (measured illuminance) Your device, on the other hand, radiates only about 100 lux

This does not mean you can go ahead and take your phone to bed It does mean, however, that a blue light blocker may not be a necessary feature for sleep hygiene The review also theorizes that instead of blaming blue light, we should look for other reasons why our smartphones might keep us awake

Blue light from smartphones may not be the cause of tossing and turning, but that doesn't mean your phone won't keep you awake It is perhaps not surprising that we at Tom's Guide are regular smartphone users

While research is still needed to determine if the blue light from smartphones really interferes with sleep, it is still a good idea to lower the brightness of your screen before bed At the very least, it will help avoid eye strain

There's nothing more useful than social media to get the blood pumping, and a chat with a friend before bed can be an invigorating way to relax And it goes without saying that a quick glance at your e-mail can raise your stress level

If you're going to use your phone before bed (and let's be honest, most people do), choose a relaxing activity instead; YouTube has some great sleep meditations

I couldn't stop scrolling and didn't make it to bedtime You may blame the blue light for waking you up, but your bad phone habits may be the cause of your sleep deprivation

Setting a screen time limit will prevent you from accessing apps and features after a certain amount of time, reminding you that yes, it really is time to put your phone down and go to bed Adding a limit can make people aware of their scrolling habits and encourage them to pay attention to their bedtime

When you suddenly “ding” in the middle of the night, it's hard to resist the lure of unread messages, even when you know you should be waking up from sleep, closing your eyes, and going back to sleep If late-night conversations are keeping you awake, the best thing to do is turn off your cell phone But if that feels like overkill, go silent instead

Waking up in the middle of the night and reaching for your cell phone can turn a minor disruption into a sleepless night The best way to fight the temptation is to remove your cell phone from your bedroom altogether, but if that is not possible, try to keep it out of reach instead If you need to get out of your cozy bed and reach for your cell phone, you are more likely to give up, turn over, and (hopefully) fall asleep