Is Your Phone Keeping You From Deep Sleep? (Small Habits, Big Difference #8)

Small Habits…Big Difference! Habit #8

What's the last thing you look at before you fall asleep?

For a lot of us, it isn't a good book or the face of the one we love. It's a phone! 😂

One more check of the weather. One more look at Facebook. One more video. And all of a sudden it's an hour later.

I've been reading The Eternal Norse by Astrid and Erik Halvorsen, and I'm sharing some of the everyday habits that might be worth changing as we get older.

Last time, we talked about taking five slow, deep breaths into your belly.

Well…here's Habit #8.

Using your phone in bed before sleep may be cutting into your body's repair time!

According to the book, the blue light from your phone blocks melatonin.

Melatonin is the hormone that starts deep sleep.

And without deep sleep, your body cannot repair itself properly.

Here's the part that really got my attention.

Growth hormone, one of the most powerful anti-aging tools your body has, is only released during deep sleep.

No deep sleep means less repair.

Remember Habit #3? Night is when the body slows down and starts repairing itself. Scrolling in bed may be getting in the way of that work too.

Here's the habit.

Put your phone down at least 30 minutes before bed.

If you use your phone as an alarm, put it across the room. You'll have to get up to shut it off in the morning, and that's not a bad way to start the day!

Here's what I do. I put my phone on the table in another room. And I actually have an alarm clock, the old-fashioned way!

So what do you do with those 30 minutes? A few ideas:

• Read a real book with paper pages.
• Talk with your spouse about the day.
• Say your prayers.
• Take your five slow belly breaths from Habit #7.

A word of caution. If you have trouble sleeping that won't go away, or you take medication for sleep, talk with your doctor.

On the farm, we never ran our equipment day after day without shop time.

Shop time was when we greased the bearings, changed the oil, and fixed whatever broke that day. Skip it, and the machine still runs for a while. Then one day it doesn't.

Deep sleep is your body's shop time. That's when the repairs get made.

Scrolling in bed is like keeping the mechanic out of the shop. The work just doesn't get done.

Small habits…big difference!

Like the breathing habit, this one doesn't cost a penny. In fact, an old-fashioned alarm clock costs a whole lot less than a new phone!

My wife and I have been married 53 years. I'd like plenty more good mornings with her, and plenty more time with our grandson. Small habits like this one are part of how I want to take care of myself.

That's one reason I've become interested in health and wellness and why I'm involved with Zilara, a company offering wellness products in forms such as liquids, powders, tinctures, and teas.

I'm not looking for overnight transformations.

I'm interested in learning about practical ways to support our health as we get older…and sharing what I discover.

If you're curious about Zilara, you can explore it through a free 72-hour tour:

https://zilaratour.com/bill

No pressure. Just take a look and decide for yourself. (I earn a commission if you join through my link; your price doesn't change.)

Tonight, put your phone down 30 minutes before bed.

Set it in another room, or at least across the room.

Then do it again tomorrow night.

One little change.

One little habit.

And who knows? Maybe you'll wake up feeling a little more rested!

Now, I have a question for you…

👉 Where does your phone sleep at night: on your NIGHTSTAND or in ANOTHER ROOM?

Leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, keep learning, keep taking care of yourself, and…

Just keep moving forward!

Bill Feaver

Small Habits…Big Difference! A series about simple changes that may help us live healthier, more active lives as we age.