Banishing My Phone from The Bedside: The Results, One Month Later

About four weeks ago, I declared that I was going to stop keeping my iPhone at my side overnight. I’m happy to say that I’ve stuck with the plan, and the results have been positive across the board.

First, thanks to everyone who expressed support for the idea. Telling you about the plan and knowing I wanted to report back were key in getting me to stick to it.

These days, my lonely little phone spends nights on the TV room coffee table, or on a particular window sill in a well trafficked hallway of my house. On the few nights where I’ve gone on autopilot and brought the phone into my bedroom, I’ve tucked it into the top drawer of my dresser so I won’t be tempted to waste time looking at social media feeds before sleeping or when I first wake up. I’ve used my laptop from bed at night once or twice more than I would have before, but never for as long as I’d use my phone (which I’d attribute to the device’s size).

While I expected to notice the change the most at night, the morning has been the biggest improvement. Using a dedicated alarm clock has actually helped me get up earlier. I’m hitting snooze less often; the alarm has only one, pretty annoying sound. But really, it’s the peacefulness of letting my mind ease into wakefulness, rather than checking to see who’s shared an interesting photo of flowers or dogs, that makes me happiest about reshaping my habits.