If you usually check your phone after 9:50pm, new evidence has revealed this could impact your health.
Research conducted by Kindle reveals Brits check devices for notifications up to 50 times an hour, contributing to the vast majority (83%) feeling stressed by bedtime.
It also found that one in three try to relax by reading a book, but are still interrupted by notifications – and keep checking them until the minute they go to sleep.
With the average British bedtime at 10.50pm, neuroscientist Dr Mark Williams advises we need at least one hour notification-free to wind down before a good night’s rest.
“When we hear a notification sound or feel our phone vibrate, our brain interprets it as something that requires our immediate focus, so we’re in a constant state of alertness,” Dr Williams explains.
“Each time our attention is diverted by a notification it takes 60-90 seconds to refocus back on the task that we were originally doing. These disruptions are seizing our time, resulting in decreased efficiency.”
From the moment of waking up in the morning, to getting into bed at night, many Brits are bombarded by notifications that demand attention leaving people feeling distracted by the time it comes to sleeping.
The pressure to stay connected is constant, with over a fifth (22%) of Brits receiving notifications until the moment they go to sleep at 10.50pm according to the research.
But the research also suggested some healthy changes you could make to improve the quality of your sleep.
To relax at the end of the day, you should ensure to have some phone-free time, ideally an hour.
You should also limit the amount of devices in your bedroom which receive notifications.
Where you sleep should be dark, cool and quiet without distractions which will ensure you get a good night of rest.
According to the expert, you should avoid caffeine and nicotine before bedtime which are stimulants and could interfere with your sleep.
To unwind, reading is a great way to spend the last hour before sleep, but not on a device that sends notifications.
By making these simple changes, you can reduce your stress levels before bed and improve your quality of sleep.
