Is It Bad to Sleep Next to Your Phone? Here’s What Experts Say

Smartphones have become an essential part of our modern lives. Currently, it is very rare that a human being does not have a phone. Many companies now have included substantial features in some versions to be better than laptops in some functions such as Camera, processing,..etc.

Most of us keep our phones next to us during sleep in order to set alarms, check emails, late-night scrolling, and receive emergency calls. A recent published survey in 2023 indicated that 62% of the included adolescents reported having their phone in bed or within reach (1). Furthermore, the IKEA large survey that included data of >55,000 customers indicated that 72% of customers use their phone in bed (2). These studies demonstrated that a significant proportion of us keep our phones beside us while sleeping.

While you may see that this behavior is harmless, emerging evidence suggests that proximity of a phone before or during sleep can significantly interfere with your sleep quality. In this article, we’ll dive deep into how sleeping next to a phone can affect your sleep, what the science says, and simple steps you can take to sleep better without giving up your tech.

Why Do People Sleep Next to Their Phones?

Before addressing the risks, let’s understand why people sleep next to their phones in the first place. Common reasons include:

· Using phones as alarm clocks

· Falling asleep while scrolling social media, watching videos, or listening to music

· Staying accessible for emergency calls or messages

· Anxiety or fear of missing out (FOMO)

· Tracking sleep or health via mobile apps

· Relying on meditation or relaxation apps

· Studying

· Conference meetings

· Working as call center

While we cannot change this behavior, it may possess significant hidden costs, in particular sleep.

How Phones Might Disrupt Sleep: The Science Explained

1. Blue Light Exposure

T your knowledge, exposure to screens (phones, laptop, tablet,..etc) at night is dangerous to your sleep. These devices emit blue light, which is a high-energy visible light that mimics daylight and signals to our brains that it’s time to be alert.

Exposure to screens for many hours during the night will certainly affect our melatonin level. The latter is so-called the sleep hormone, thus any significant reduction will affect our sleep onset as well as our sleep quality (3, 4).

2. Alerts, Vibrations, and Notifications

If you did not put your phone in the silent mode, you will continuously receive a sound or light response to notifications regarding messages, updates, social media interactions,..etc. These micro-disturbances can trigger brief awakenings or transitions to lighter stages of sleep, disrupting the natural sleep cycle without you even realizing it.

3. Anticipatory Anxiety

If you are waiting for a reply from a new company to work for, your partner after a huge disagreement,…etc, you will experience anxiety from waiting for a message or notification. This hypervigilance keeps the brain in a state of low-level alertness—again, not ideal for deep sleep.

4. Mental Stimulation and Sleep Delay

The Bedtime Scroll Trap

We’ve all been there—intending to wind down but getting trapped in a loop of scrolling, replying to messages, or checking late-night emails. This seemingly innocent behavior:

· Delays bedtime (sleep procrastination)

· Increases cognitive arousal

· Induces emotional responses (anger, anxiety, excitement) that affect the ability to fall asleep.

5. Emergency Calls

Some individuals cannot activate the silent mode due to the nature of their work, such as healthcare professionals. We might get phone calls on late night due to an emergency admission, post-surgery complication,…etc. Making our phones silent will harm patients’ lives. Therefore, most physicians, when being at on-call duty shift, do not mostly get deep sleep since their phone acts as a distractor to sleep.

6. Studying

During exam time, you will continuously check the past exams questions, answers as well as the study groups if there is an update regarding the exam time, duration, style or even the location. This checking from your phone can increase your anxiety at night, which decreases your sleep quality.

7. Online Gaming

You will rarely find an adolescent who has not played an online game or is not currently playing an online game. Playing online games while holding your phone in bed can increase your adrenaline levels, which decrease the ability of your body to get into sleep. Furthermore, the easy accessibility of the phone next to you in bed during sleep can make you awake at night in order to play some online games or compare your scores to another colleagues.

Practical Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene Around Phones

Here’s how to keep your tech and your sleep in balance:

1. Keep Your Phone Away From the Bed

Charge your phone on a desk, shelf, or even in another room if possible. This reduces light and noise exposure.

2. Use Airplane Mode at Night

3. Set a “Tech-Free Period”

Avoid screen exposure at least 30–60 minutes before bedtime. Use this time to read, meditate, or unwind.

4. Enable Blue Light Filters

Most phones offer night mode or “blue light filters” that reduce melatonin suppression. It’s better than nothing, but not a complete solution.

5. Turn On Do Not Disturb or Sleep Focus Mode

Block notifications and dim the screen during sleep hours.

6. Use a Traditional Alarm Clock

Avoid using your phone as an alarm. This breaks the habit of keeping it nearby.

7. Engage in a Relaxing Bedtime Routine

Create a routine that doesn’t involve screens—take a warm shower, read a book, practice mindfulness, or journaling.

8. If You Are A Healthcare Professional

Try to buy another phone for just calling and set an airplane mode for your primary phone to avoid distractions at sleep other than the hospital calls.

9. Download Helpful Apps:

Some apps are built to block social media notifications or even track your time spent on your phone.

10. Replace Your Phone With Another Routine

Instead of holding your phone at bedtime, try to do some meditation or reading books. By doing so, you set an alarm to your body that it is time to shut down and close the system to get deep sleep.

11. Visit Your Doctor

If your phone is interfering with your sleep or increase your anxiety, depression or panic attacks, it is advisable to visit your doctor.

Who Should Be Extra Cautious?

Some groups may be more vulnerable to the effects of phones on sleep:

Children and Teens

· Developing brains are more sensitive to blue light

· Higher social media usage at night increases sleep disruption

People with Insomnia, Anxiety, or Sleep Disorders

· Phones can exacerbate cognitive arousal and prevent proper sleep onset

 Older Adults

· Natural changes in sleep architecture make them more sensitive to disturbances

Conclusion

So, can sleeping next to a phone disrupt your sleep?

Yes—especially over time and in sensitive individuals. Smartphones emit light, noise, and electromagnetic signals. They also engage your mind in ways that can delay sleep and disrupt sleep cycles. Even if you’re not fully awakened, your sleep quality may be diminished without you realizing it.

The good news? Small behavioral changes can make a big difference. Keeping your phone at a distance, turning off notifications, and winding down without screens can lead to deeper, more restorative sleep—and a healthier relationship with your tech.

Short biography:

Dr. Amr Ehab, is a physician, medical researcher with a special focus in Public Health field, an Academic Editor at PLOS ONE Journal, the author of more than 50 internationally published papers in high impact factor journals, including Lancet Microbe and the founder of wellnessrevive.org a website dedicated to promoting better sleep health.