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1.10

Sleeping with your phone outside the bedroom

Charge your phone outside the bedroom and let a cheap alarm clock wake you up.

A woman sleeps in bed with a classic analog alarm clock beside her. There is no phone in sight.
Photo: Anastasiya Vragova / Pexels
Area: BodyFrom age 13Time to learn: One evening to set up. One to two weeks for the routine to feel normal.

You will be able to set up a bedtime routine that keeps your phone out of your bedroom all night.

SafetyIf you have trouble sleeping most nights for several weeks, or you snore loudly and feel very sleepy during the day, talk to a doctor.

Why it matters

Teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep and adults at least 7, according to CDC and Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. Phones compete for that time: when researchers tracked the phones of 203 US 11- to 17-year-olds for a week, 59% used them between midnight and 5 a.m. on school nights. Taking the phone out of the room takes away the choice.

How to do it

  1. Buy a basic alarm clock so you no longer need your phone to wake up.
  2. Choose a charging spot outside the bedroom, such as the kitchen or hallway.
  3. Set a phone bedtime at least 30 minutes before you plan to sleep. CDC advises turning devices off at least 30 minutes before bed.
  4. At that time, plug the phone in at the charging spot and leave it there until morning.
  5. Tell close friends and family your phone hours so they do not expect replies at night.
  6. Replace scrolling with a set routine: wash up, dim the lights, read a paper book.
  7. Keep the bedroom quiet, dark and cool.
  8. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, with weekends within about an hour of weekdays.
  9. If you worry about missing an emergency call, set Do Not Disturb to let key contacts through and charge the phone just outside your door, where you can hear it.

Common mistakes

  • Keeping the phone on the nightstand “face down”.
  • Using the phone as your alarm, so it has to stay in the room.
  • Swapping the phone for a tablet or laptop in bed.
  • Sleeping in for hours on weekends, which shifts your body clock.
You can do this when …your phone has spent seven nights in a row outside your bedroom and you woke up on time each morning.

Sources

  1. CDC – About Sleep
  2. Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth
  3. NHLBI – Healthy Sleep Habits
  4. Common Sense Media – Constant Companion (2023)

Sources and numbers last checked . How we check

Go deeper

ReportThe Basic Skills Report Card 2026We graded US adults on nine basics, most of which school rarely tests, from swimming to the fine print, with Canadian data where it exists. Six subjects got an F.

All lessons

← 1.9 previous lesson: Reading a nutrition label · 1.11 → next lesson: Doing 10 full push-ups
1Body16 lessons
  1. 1.1Washing your hands properly
  2. 1.2Getting water out of your ear
  3. 1.3Brushing your teeth for two minutes
  4. 1.4Riding a bike
  5. 1.5Getting up off the floor without your hands
  6. 1.6Slow breathing to calm down
  7. 1.7How to put in a tampon
  8. 1.8How often should you wash your hair
  9. 1.9Reading a nutrition label
  10. 1.10Sleeping with your phone outside the bedroom · You are here
  11. 1.11Doing 10 full push-ups
  12. 1.12How to stretch your hip flexors
  13. 1.13How to swaddle a newborn, and when to stop
  14. 1.14Reading a prescription label
  15. 1.15Booking a doctor's appointment and describing symptoms
  16. 1.16Knowing your blood pressure
2Mind15 lessons
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  2. 2.2Naming what you feel
  3. 2.3Grounding yourself after a fright
  4. 2.4Letting someone see you upset
  5. 2.5What to wear to a funeral, where to sit, and what to say
  6. 2.6What to write in a sympathy card
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  10. 2.10Changing your mind when the evidence changes
  11. 2.11The 7 stages of grief, and why grief comes in waves instead
  12. 2.12Telling a friend you're not okay
  13. 2.13Knowing when stress needs professional help
  14. 2.14Building a habit by tying it to an old one
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3People17 lessons
  1. 3.1Introducing yourself and asking a question back
  2. 3.2Asking a question in front of a group
  3. 3.3Apologising properly
  4. 3.4Disagreeing without insults
  5. 3.5Writing a clear email, subject line to sign-off
  6. 3.6Comforting someone who is crying
  7. 3.7What to say to someone who lost a loved one
  8. 3.8Saying no without an excuse
  9. 3.9Phoning a business
  10. 3.10How to burp a newborn
  11. 3.11Asking for consent
  12. 3.12Resigning from a job in writing
  13. 3.13Answering interview questions with the STAR method
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  15. 3.15How to write an obituary
  16. 3.16Speaking up in a meeting
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4Money17 lessons
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  6. 4.6Why minimum payments cost so much
  7. 4.7The rule of 72
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  10. 4.10Reading a contract to find how to cancel
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  12. 4.12What is a contingent beneficiary, and how to name one
  13. 4.13Filing your own tax return
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  7. 6.7How to block spam calls on iPhone and Android
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  10. 6.10Trace a claim before you share it
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  6. 7.6Boiling an egg to the yolk you want
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8Home17 lessons
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