How long before bed should you stop using your phone

What the major health bodies recommend

The shortest answer comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its list of habits for better sleep includes turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime, next to going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) uses the same number on its Healthy Sleep Habits page: turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

Other sources ask for more. In its 2023 survey release the AASM advised turning off all electronics at least 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime, and its February 2026 release recommends avoiding blue light from handheld electronics 30 to 60 minutes before bed. The NHS Every Mind Matters guide says to try not to use phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the US National Institutes of Health, suggests using the hour before bed for quiet time and avoiding bright artificial light such as a TV or computer screen.

Put together, 30 minutes is the floor that every one of these sources accepts, and an hour is the target several of them prefer. If an hour feels impossible tonight, 30 minutes is a real start rather than a compromise.

Why the phone in particular keeps you up

Light is the first reason. The NHS says the blue light from screens can make it harder to fall asleep, and the NHLBI notes that bright light may signal the brain that it is time to be awake. AASM past president Dr. James Rowley put it more sharply in 2026: blue light, especially combined with emotionally charged content, can trick the body clock into a state of daytime-level alertness.

Content is the second. In an AASM survey of 2,007 US adults carried out in June 2025, 38 percent said reading news on a phone or tablet before bed, often called doomscrolling, makes their sleep slightly or significantly worse, rising to 46 percent among adults aged 18 to 24. More than a quarter, 26 percent, said they prioritize screen time on their phone over getting the recommended amount of sleep, and half reported using a screen in bed every day.

Time is the third. A phone has no natural ending, so it is easy to stay up past the bedtime you planned. The AASM calls this bedtime procrastination. In its 2023 survey of 2,005 adults, 91 percent said they had lost sleep because they stayed up past their bedtime to binge-watch a show, and 87 percent kept their smartphone in the bedroom.

How to set a cutoff you will actually keep

Start from your bedtime, not from whatever time it is when you notice the phone. The AASM suggests setting a bedtime early enough for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and the CDC recommends 7 or more hours for adults aged 18 to 60. Once the bedtime is fixed, the cutoff is simply 30 to 60 minutes earlier, and it stays the same every night.

Then move the phone, not just your intentions. The AASM's 2026 tips are to place phones in another room when you go to bed and use a clock for your alarm, and, if the phone has to stay in the room, to turn off notifications so it does not light up. The NHS suggests putting the phone on silent and placing it face down to cut the light.

Finally, give the gap something to hold. The AASM lists reading, journaling or a warm shower. The NHS suggests reading something you enjoy, meditation, breathing exercises, calming music or a podcast, and the NHLBI mentions a hot bath or relaxation techniques. A cutoff with nothing after it tends to end with the phone back in your hand.

If you cannot sleep, do not reach for it

The moment people most often pick the phone back up is when sleep will not come. The AASM's 2023 survey found that 45 percent of adults use their smartphone when they have trouble falling asleep.

Both the AASM and the NHS give the same alternative. If you are still awake after about 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something quiet somewhere comfortable, then go back when you feel sleepy. The AASM adds that this quiet activity should be done without a lot of light, and that it is especially important not to get on electronics.

Common mistakes with a phone cutoff

Only dimming the screen. A darker screen does nothing about what you are reading. Rowley's advice is to limit phone use before bed altogether and to be mindful of the type of content you view near bedtime, because stressful or worrying topics make restful sleep harder.

Using the phone as the alarm. It is the main reason the phone ends up on the pillow. The AASM's suggestion of a separate clock removes the excuse.

A cutoff that moves every night. A cutoff tied to a bedtime that changes daily is not really a cutoff. The NHLBI recommends keeping the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends, with a difference of no more than about an hour.

Relying on willpower at the last minute. A routine that starts on its own works better than a decision made at 11 pm. A reminder timed to your cutoff is one way to start it. Sleeppet, for example, sends one reminder 30 minutes before the bedtime you set, and when you tap Good night a small bunny falls asleep on a dimmed screen; in the morning it shows only how long the phone rested, not how you slept.

A note on persistent sleep problems

A phone cutoff is a habit change, not a treatment. The NHS advises seeing a GP if changing your sleeping habits has not helped, if you have had trouble sleeping for months, or if it is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard to cope.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have ongoing trouble sleeping, talk to a doctor or other qualified health professional.

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