SINGAPORE – Singaporeans are among the most sleep-deprived worldwide, with more than half of the population clocking fewer than seven hours of shut-eye a day.
The main culprit – the glowing rectangle in our hands.
Numerous global studies have linked device use at bedtime with the longer time taken to fall asleep. These reports also show that youth who use devices at night often do not get adequate high-quality sleep, and are more likely to feel tired the next day.
Sleep debt is an issue many adults grapple with as well.
According to Leonard Eng, a doctor and consultant at Singapore General Hospital’s department of psychiatry, scrolling in bed becomes a habit that “rewires your brain” to view the bed as a place for entertainment, not just for sleep.
The Straits Times spoke to two sleep experts, Stijn Massar and Lo Chi Yan, assistant professors from the National University of Singapore, who recommend tips to ensure phones do not get in the way of sleep.
The most ideal way to avoid using phones before sleeping is to keep them out of the way.
Try charging your phone outside the bedroom while sleeping, so notifications do not disturb you.
If you depend on the phone to wake you up in the morning, use an old-school alarm clock in the bedroom instead.
This is also a good habit for parents to inculcate in their children.
Keeping the phone at the bedside creates a tendency to check it during the night or be woken by notifications. This increases disruptions and fragments sleep.
If you really need to keep the phone near you while you sleep, switch it to the “Do Not Disturb” mode.
This setting helps by muting calls, alerts and notifications. It stops buzzing, beeping, or screen flashes, allowing the brain to reach deeper stages of rest through uninterrupted sleep.
Messaging, gaming or scrolling through engaging content makes it harder for the brain to wind down and drift off to sleep.
While the light emitted by screens can affect sleep, research suggests that the duration of phone use close to bedtime and how emotionally stimulating the content is play a bigger role in delaying sleep.
Not everyone gets hooked on the same things.
For instance, a quick game of Sudoku may seem like a relaxing way to wind down. But for someone with a competitive streak, trying to solve a difficult puzzle could keep the mind alert, making it harder to fall asleep.
Likewise, watching a Netflix show may be part of a nightly wind-down routine. But the temptation to find out what happens next can easily turn one episode into binge-watching for several hours, pushing bedtime later than planned.
Recognise what type of content keeps your mind engaged rather than relaxed, and avoid it in the hour or two before bed. What helps one person unwind may keep another wide awake.
Swop screens for other wind-down activities, such as taking a warm shower, writing in a journal or engaging in a skincare routine. Try deep breathing, meditating or light stretching.
When setting limits for children’s phone use, explain why boundaries are necessary.
Have open conversations about sleep and explain the research behind the rules. Children who are still learning to manage their device use are more likely to cooperate when they understand the reasons for the restrictions.
Tell them how many hours – between eight and 10 daily – they need for adequate sleep, and explain how using their devices at night can make it harder for them to feel tired and fall asleep easily.
Such conversations can go a long way towards building not just compliance, but also understanding. Over time, children may be more likely to develop healthier habits that persist into adulthood.
