How Long Before Bed Should I Stop Screens?

Screens delay sleep in two ways: light (especially bright LEDs) and arousal (news, chats, infinite scroll). Filters help the first problem more than the second.

A cutoff that works for most people

Default rule:

1. Pick bedtime
2. Stop interactive screens 60–90 minutes before
3. If you wake at 3 a.m. or take forever to fall asleep, push to 2 hours

“Interactive” means phone, laptop, tablet with apps you tap. A dim TV across the room is usually less damaging than a bright phone in bed — but both are worse than a book or quiet audio.

Why late scrolling hits sleep

• Bright light can delay melatonin timing
• Notifications keep the nervous system “on call”
• Emotional content (work email, arguments, short video) raises alertness right when you need the opposite

Night mode is a small assist, not a free pass to scroll until lights-out.

A realistic wind-down (no monastery required)

T-90 to T-60

• Last work / social scroll ends
• Charge the phone outside the bed reach
• Dim house lights

T-60 to bed

• Shower, stretch, paper book, or calm audio
• Optional: magnesium glycinate if that is already in your stack — glycinate vs citrate
• Keep caffeine out of this window — caffeine cutoff guide

7-day test

1. Fixed wake time
2. Screen cutoff at 90 minutes
3. Phone charges in another room
4. Log: time to fall asleep, night wake-ups, morning mood

If sleep improves, keep the cutoff even when you “only check one thing.”

Bottom line

Stop interactive screens 60–90 minutes before bed — longer if sleep is fragile. Filters help; removing the phone from the pillow helps more.

Related: morning light · sunrise alarms