Social media can connect us to the world, but excessive scrolling can disconnect us from peaceful sleep. It can cause overthinking, keeping your mind awake. Nowadays, most people are stuck to their mobiles in the evening for relaxation from their work. I used to tell myself that this is the last message I can see and this is the last reel I watch before sleeping, and it used to last for more than 2 hours. Then, when I tried to sleep, I couldn’t because my mind was too active. Due to a lack of sleep, I started seeing changes in my body. I gained weight, loss of appetite, mood swings, hair fall, dark circles, anxiety, and depression.
If you’ve ever promised yourself one last scroll before bed, you’re not alone. Most of us do it — checking messages, watching reels, or reading “just one more” post. But that small habit can have a big impact on your sleep and mental calm.
Why is your brain awake at night after scrolling
When we stare at the mobile screen or the laptop screen, the blue light from the mobile and laptop will tell our body and brain that it’s daytime, and it will also stop the release of the melatonin hormone, which causes sleep. Screen time will keep your brain active.
It’s not only because of the screen time, but also because of the content that you are watching on your mobile.
When we start replying to the messages or watch any video will make our brain active, and our brain will start processing and reacting to the content that we are consuming.
And when we see someone’s perfect life on social media, it makes us feel inferior and makes us feel low because we start comparing ourselves with them, and we also start overthinking about our lives.
Overthinking will not let us sleep peacefully. After watching the reels or any video, I put my phone aside, but still, my mind is full of thoughts about what I watched. It doesn’t let us sleep.
When the Mind Doesn’t Get Its Quiet Time
When we see the screen for a longer time at night, it not only delays sleep but also impacts the quality of sleep. Even if we managed to sleep, our minds will not be relaxed; we feel restless, and we feel drained. I realized this, I didn’t use to feel relaxed, even after 8 hours of sleep, my body rested, but my mind didn’t. I used to feel like the whole night I had been thinking, without proper sleep. This kind of shallow sleep ill cause moodiness and less focus on work.
The truth is our brain needs silence before we hit the bed. That is how our brain heals. Without that peaceful downtime, we might be sleeping, but we’re not truly resting.
How I started reclaiming my nights
At the beginning, I tried- No phone for 30 minutes before sleep. I replaced scrolling with reading books and journaling, and I listen to music or any guided meditation instead of watching videos. But it wasn’t easy in the beginning; it takes time to change. At the start, my hands were used directly to go near to mobile; it took time, 1 to 2 weeks, to get habituated to my new habits. It needs consistency.
But within a week, I started noticing the changes in me.
I used to sleep peacefully, I used to fall asleep faster, and I no longer woke up in the middle of the night to check my phone or scroll through social media.
The result is that my mornings felt fresher and lighter, and I felt more relaxed and focused on my work.
Choose calm over scroll.
When I started avoiding the screen before bed, I observed amazing changes in myself. My mind became calm and relaxed, and I also used to feel more productive in the mornings. I give my mind a break before sleeping, dim the lights, put the phone aside, and let my thoughts slow down causes good sleep.
What can be done by sitting calmly?
- Deep Breathing.
- Positive affirmation.
- Slow rubbing of feet.
- Listening to sleep music.
- Repeating the sleeping mantra in mind.
- Putting both palms on the face and moving them gently.
The Sleeping Mantra You could try
Yaa Devi Sarva Bhooteshu Nidraa Roopena Samsthitaa,
Namastasyaai Namastasyaai Namastasyaai Namo Namah!
Repeating this sleeping mantra at least 3 times in the mind actually creates a good impact on sleep.
These small choices, like turning off the screen, dimming the lights, and deep breath, can seem simple, but they have the power to change your nights and our days also.
So, if you catch yourself scrolling endlessly before bed, pause for a moment and ask — “Is this helping me feel calm?”
Most times, the answer is no.
Conclusion
In this busy world, it is easy to forget that our mind and body have limits. The same screens will keep us informed, entertained, and connected, but they also reduce our quality of sleep, which is very important for our health. Overscreen time at night can make your brain active and delay in releaing the sleep hormones, and it also impacts our productivity in our work in daytime, because we feel restless and we are not able to focus on the work. Small changes can make a great impact on our lives. Start with simple steps like avoiding the screen before you sleep, creating a night routine, and maintaining consistency, and these small habits turn into a daily ritual that restores balance to our mind and body.
Disclaimer
This article is just my personal experience, not medical advice.
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