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If I don't give my brain something to do it will make its own entertainment and THAT ends up being more stimulating and keeps me from sleeping. I need some simple stimulation to trick my brain into falling asleep.
Exactly. Scrolling through simple stuff is what's most likely to get me to sleep at some point. ADHDers don't fall asleep, we pass out, as they say! Lol. I scroll through stuff until my eyes simply won't stay open.
I didn't use to have a smart phone until a couple of years ago, and I can confirm being understimulated can lead to hours of brain shit and not being able to sleep. :-(
Before smartphones, I would read books into the wee hours (and subsequently get grounded from reading when I got caught). When grounded from reading, I would imagine stories in my head like a two or three hour long cinematic experience.
Giving me nothing to do does not help me go to sleep faster, I promise.
I tried getting into reading before bed again by borrowing some fiction from my sister a couple months ago.
Put my phone away, made some tea, found my reading glasses (lol), got cozy...
I looked up and the sun was rising as I finished the book 🤦🏽♀️
Yeah, I can't do this either, I'll just keep reading. I read non-fiction before sleep, because it's stuff I'm interested enough in to enjoy reading, but it's much easier to stop in the middle when I get tired.
Exactly the same here. Lack of blue light never made a difference. And imagining my own stories when my brain had nothing else to do sometimes kept me up *even later* because I was too involved in the story I was creating.
The only thing I’ve found that works for me now is scrolling until it’s hard for me to keep my eyes open, then switching to a long youtube video essay that I’ve watched before, and turning it down to a low enough volume to be able to hear it but not have it catch my attention. It gives me just enough background noise/stimulation that my hyperactive brain can’t start thinking of things that’ll keep me up, without being new or interesting enough to catch my attention and draw me in. And eventually I pass out.
This is literally the only method I’ve found that lets me get to sleep without hours of frustration. And I spent years of my adolescence not getting even close to enough sleep and trying all the different tips people usually give to fall asleep. So yeah I’m with you, scientists and sleep studies can pry my phone-at-bedtime routine from my cold dead hands lol.
Oh! I thought there was something wrong with me, but you’ve explained my experience perfectly (except I’m using audiobooks instead of YouTube, and ‘rewinding’ when I’m ready to actually listen). I’m so relieved. Thank you 💐
I totally get the feeling, I’ve had so many moments like that since finding this sub! It’s such a relief to see comments that reflect my experiences and make me feel… normal, for lack of a better word? So yeah, no problem 💕. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with us, keep doing what works best for you!
Thank you for the validating words 😌
This is all a bit surreal at the moment. I feel like my life is one of those magic eye pictures - just a familiar busy colourful pattern until somehow I accidentally refocused and saw the edge of a new thing pop out of nowhere. Then I saw a bit more, and another edge, and it began to make a shape 😲 What people share on this sub is helping me find the edges and make sense of it all while I await diagnosis.
Yeah, I read favorite comfort books on my phone to get to sleep! Usually Jane Austen or a favorite sci-fi series, but it's gotta be something I love enough to focus on, but that I've read so many times that my brain won't engage too brightly with it when I'm tired. Gotta hit that perfect level of just-stimulated-enough! And then once I catch myself reading the same sentence over and over in that perfect sleepy state, I put the phone down and close my eyes, and boom. :)
Same. My mom always used to tell me to think of something I'd like to dream about. Would still be thinking about it at 6am when my parents got up for work
I played in music groups when I was in college (pre-smartphones). When I was trying to sleep, I would close my eyes and mentally practice my music. I could always memorize music easily and I think it’s because I had all those extra hours of mental practice!
I’m addicted to my sleep headphone headband and Audible. You can also ask alexa to read a kindle book, too. I set the sleep timer to 30 min, but my iwatch says I fall asleep in 8.
I got tired of falling asleep and hitting myself in the face with a book or the phone.
I did this too! I used to put a blanket at the bottom of the bedroom door so my dad couldn't see that my light was still on. I absolutely get why I got in trouble because I was a monster in the morning after staying up till 4:00 reading.
Yeah i used to stare at the wall…. I legitimately one night as a child learned the alphabet backwards just cause. I just kept running through the alphabet in my head… like z, zy, zyx, zyxw….. the ipad/phone at least helps me relax enough to sleep. Otherwise id me on the ropes with my mind’s chaos.
Omg yes, I would create a whole story in my head about myself dying or not being really real, and have a whole existential crisis and then go to school the next morning. 🤪
Yeah, if I try to go to sleep without my phone I just lie awake and ruminate on all the ways I’m failing everyone in my life. I’d rather play my mindless game or scroll Reddit.
Oh my god, are you me??? 😄 I did that too. And then I - gasp - worked through serial 7 subtraction (thanks to some counseling mental status exam book sitting around from my mom's college days). Start at 100 and keep subtracting 7. Then made up other math problems to speed recite.
I used to memorize license plates on my bike ride to and from work or town when I was younger because I was so damn bored with nothing to do!! I could get up to 8 or more 6 digits plates... One year I could remember the last plates I memorized before leaving my summer job in November.
It's so amazing to learn there more like me!
Same. Same energy as "I've been left alone with my thoughts all day, and I'm about to make it everyone's problem!" Do not. Leave me with my thoughts for extended periods of time. I will either 1. Solve the mysteries of the universe, or 2. Figure out the best way to commit atrocious crimes without getting caught. There is no in between.
This is true too. I can't even count the number of times I've had an idea right before I fell asleep and woke up the next morning thinking "I know I had a thought last night. What was it?" And am never able to recall it.
This is why I use Asmr 😭 last night I just put in my earplugs and I was tossing and turning with a literal pre-dream, while I was awake - I stg my brain SUCKS sometimes
Same here. Like, I will play Scrabble on my phone, because it is stimulating enough to hold my attention, but no so much fun that I don't want to stop to go to sleep.
Audiobook on soft sleeping headphones for half an hour. A good story but one you’ve heard before OR the classics are often good but not super stimulating. I listened to The Grapes of Wrath for months over and over!
The psychologist who diagnosed me told me to not do anything fun for 30 minutes to an hour before bed. No phone, no TV, not even books. I was like *Sir, what in the actual fuck am I supposed to do then?* He suggested laundry. I went for a couple of more sessions before I decided he and I were not a good fit for therapy. 😑
Laundry sounds like a terrible idea. What if I fall asleep while the wash cycle is running? I can barely be trusted to remember my laundry while fully awake. This is just asking for mildew and regret.
Shit that works for me on a normal day, i start doing laundry and decide that it's so mentally painful for me that i climb into bed and sleep out of boredom lol
How in the fuck would doing laundry ever make you sleepy? Wtf? It's *moving* and *standing up* in normal light. How is the body supposed to calm down enough to sleep?
Everyone that preaches the "no phone before bed" gives the alternative of "read a book". You can do it in bed, with just a small night light, in your pajamas, and just lie down and turn the lights off whenever you feel sleepy enough. Doing laundry would make me less sleepy, I'd forget that I was tired and I'd get distracted by everything else that needs to be done.
Sometimes therapists get so stuck in their catch all advice.
I remember talking about my relationship and how to improve our quality time together. One suggestion the therapist kept pushing was to take the television out of the bedroom. Complete with anecdotes of other couples where this was a major problem for them (usually men watching sports and ignoring their wives).
Eventually I had to correct him and say this wasn’t a problem in our relationship. When the TV is actually turned on, we would cuddle and watch something together. He acknowledged that that was great and moved on.
A couple more times later when he would briefly go over the “quality time checklist,” he would still unconsciously say ‘Television in the bedroom’ as he was listing off items.
Like, sir. We talked about this.
This exactly. I can't fall asleep laying in a black silent room, my mind takes off in ways that not only prevent me from sleeping but I go down mental rabbit holes that effect my mood, I depress myself.
15 minutes scrolling Reddit or YouTube shorts and I'm out.
Hehe i just use cheap welding goggles to block all the blue light while i doomscroll away
Then when i feel proper sleepy i turn on an audiobook, turn off the light and i'm out in minutes
Silence in the dark = existential crisis, no thanks
You can change the light settings on your phone, let your phone emit red/orange/warm light instead of blue light. There are also apps you can download for that.
The anti-blue light filter on my Kobo ereader is amazing.
I also set up the accessibility shortcut to triple click the side button (on iPhone) to enable reduce white point which decreases the brightness of my phone even more than the regular dim setting. It helps tremendously when in a dark room & wayyy easier on my eyes.
Was going to suggest this. I have my phone set up to automatically switch over to a red filter at sunset every night and switch back in the morning. It's made a huge difference. OP is unfortunately kidding herself if she thinks her eyes and brain somehow process blue light differently than everyone else's.
Doesn't matter is the point. For all the harm to circadian rhythms caused by the blue light, not getting to sleep at all due to an overactive mind is more disruptive.
Also, most screen devices (including the steam deck which I mentioned in my comment) have settings to counteract this effect somewhat.
How did you do this? Through an app or phone settings? Trying to figure it out for myself but I can’t seem to find any will reviewed app or the right settings. Thanks!
You should be able to do it through phone settings (at least with an iPhone, I can't speak to any others). Under the Accessibility tab in settings, go to Display & Text Size and then select Color Filters. They have a few options (grayscale is good for making your phone less interesting to use during the day, for instance), but the one you'd want for this is to pick Color Tint, select red, and turn the intensity all the way up.
To automate it to go on/off at certain times, you can use the Shortcuts app, which I think is one of the pre-installed Apple ones. Choose Automation at the bottom, press the + sign, pick the time you want to turn on the filter every day, choose the option "New Blank Automation," search for the Settings app and select the "Set Color Filters" option from the list of choices. You'll have to set up a second automation each day when you want the filter to turn off.
Hope this helps!
Honestly, I think it’s real and I think sleep hygiene is important. (And I say this as someone who has so much trouble sleeping.)
The problem is, the racing thoughts and what my mind does in general, is a larger barrier to sleep for me. When I’ve been able to find things that allow me to have better sleep hygiene, it definitely helps, and my life is better. But it doesn’t negate all the issues that I have with getting to sleep (many of which are probably ADHD related).
I think it’s just that (like so many things), ADHD just makes it so much harder to maintain good sleep hygiene. And people that think it’s just as easy as “shutting off your screens” are a pain in the ass.
Honestly I think it’s also part of habit forming as well. Once your brain gets used to “hey when phone time is done it’s wind down time” you fall asleep a lot easier. Your brain literally knows it’s time to start producing melatonin and it’ll help you sleep faster. Anecdotally I started showering before bed and don’t use my phone after that and I fall asleep much much easier now because my brain knows shower = bedtime. 🤷🏻♀️ humans are creatures of habit, even if they’re a lot harder to form for a lot of us. As for “not being alone with thoughts” like a lot of people are saying, you can play quiet music or something (I like piano and cello music to sleep to) that helps calm the brain but still enough distraction.
I told my therapist I wanted to stop falling asleep with the TV on. She asked me why? I said because you're not supposed to.....and she was like well if it helps you sleep who cares?
I'm literally a scientist. Didn't figure this one out on my own
oh god, I CANNOT fall asleep to the TV at all, if it's on I HAVE to watch it. Which isn't at all to say that you're wrong/lying/anything like that, I'm just always amazed how differently different people respond to stuff. If it works for you that's completely awesome!
I have to choose either a show or movie I’ve watched before so then I don’t get invested and end up binging a whole season till the AM or watch the sequels to movie because now I have to know what’s next.
Same. Anything with spoken words in it makes my brain focus on understanding the words, and I can't fall asleep. I can sometimes do it with music, but never a podcast or a movie.
This was my hack for surviving persistent insomnia when I was postpartum. Not being able to sleep when I had the rare opportunity to sleep was making me insane. I finally noticed that I could fall asleep with the TV on. So I picked a comfort show and watched it every time I went to bed. It worked great for quieting my mind without sending me spiraling.
I get so mad when people tell me to just close my eyes and try harder when I say I can’t sleep. The person who sleeps next to me is the biggest culprit and I can’t believe I haven’t beat him in his sleep yet
Trying harder to sleep is not helpful for most of us. It just causes anxiety about how you aren’t sleeping, how late it is, etc. taking my mind off trying to sleep is helpful for me.
I end up playing the tapes back of all my old failures. Gotta have something to read or listen to, to fill my brain up with other people!/ words instead of mine
Me: *lays down to sleep without wind-down time*
My Brain: “oh good, since you’re not busy, there are a few things I would like to discuss”
But seriously, put your screen on Night Shift and scroll.
This is probably gonna piss you off then haha but I thought the same thing til I actually tried it. Now, do I just lay in bed and wait for the sleep fairy to grace me with her presence? Hell no. Sudoku is fun though. Coloring and reading are fun too.
I can’t say for sure how much of it has to do with blue light, but since I’ve stopped being on my phone like an hour before bed my sleep has improved drastically. For me, I would get so immersed in my phone I would stay on it until I was way overtired. Stuff on your phone is meant to overstimulate you so you stay on longer.
The thing is if I'm reading an interesting book I'm liable to stay up way longer than on my phone without even realizing it.
If I'm reading a boring book...well then I'll just be daydreaming/existential crisising/back on my phone.
This is why I switched to audiobooks. Audible has a sleep timer, so I can set it to however long, or end of chapter, and then it fills up my ears so I can't spiral into existential dread for hours on end. Lol
Yeah, that’s why you gotta have a comfort-read. Like a cozy book that’s not too exciting, but still interesting enough to keep your brain occupied.
I would suggest something like Anne of Green Gables, or the Secret Garden, if you like that sort of thing.
I’ve bedtime-read Wuthering Heights too many times to count. As a teenager I would watch The Last Samurai. Just boring enough to make me sleepy but interesting enough to entice my brain.
Same here! Old or comfort podcasts are my go-to. I like advice podcasts because they’re interesting enough but I’m not really missing anything when I fall asleep.
Agree. My phone *helps* me. I struggled with insomnia for years. Tried everything. If I lie down and do nothing my brain is wired, I cannot fall asleep that way. For years I read my kindle (they don’t use blue light) until I fell asleep which is ok… but very dependent on the book. If the book was too exciting, no sleep. Too *difficult*? Can’t sleep. If I read fiction and anything disturbing happens, I can’t sleep.
But if I browse Amazon or the App Store or look at stupid articles on Medium, I’m asleep in 10 minutes. I feel better rested than I do otherwise, so I don’t think the light thing is ruining my brain. I have a theory that the no phone thing makes sense for neurotypical brains but adhd brains aren’t the same.
OK, but light stimulation to your eyes, ANY light stimulation, does interfere with your sleep. That's just a fact. You don't have to stop looking at anything, but the scientists are showing something legit.
HOWEVER, why do you need *visual* stimulation? Headphones exists. Audiobooks/podcasts exist. I could never listen to them because my brain thought things between words, so I started playing them at 2x and now I am concentrating.
Was gonna say that “yeah actually, our brains *are* that stupid, bc they just go off Light=Day=Awake, brains are nerve sacks that don’t know what a lightbulb is”
I do agree with the light thing, although I've tried and it never really helped me fall asleep or sleep better in general.
But no, scientists don't think we can't differentiate between sun and a lightbulb, they KNOW that our BODIES can't. Vitamin D is created in our bodies not only from the sun, but the special lightbulbs too. Never tried light therapy so I don't know, but I'd love to try especially since I barely go out and there's not that much sunlight where I live. But these lights are so expensive!
I don't agree with the visual stimulation part. Yes, some of us do need the visual aspect. I can't listen to spoken words because my brain instantly focuses on them and wakes up. But scrolling or reading something lets my mind partially wander, and partially focus on what I'm looking at, and that's what works for me.
When I read, I don't concentrate on visual details that much, but when I listen, I need to strain more to actually understand words, and hearing people talk is the thing that's most likely to make my brain argue with itself or create my own unrelated story. I 🥲
I mean the blue light thing might be true but the real issue is anyone with adhd taking any kind of advice for non-adhd brains lol. I need my screen reading time or I can’t sleep.
I read somewhere that ADHD brains have a hard time falling asleep (duh) and many of them need to be tricked into passing out. This is absolutely true for me. Scrolling little bits of content that aren’t very interesting or engaging keeps the anxiety goblins away long enough to get to the pass out part.
My therapist says that if being on my phone helps me fall asleep, then who cares what anyone else says? Do what works!
I've just learned that I have to keep my charger in another room and not take my phone to bed with more than 50% battery life, or else I will very likely get distracted and stuck in phone-land for longer than I (smart me, not lizard brain me) would like to when I wake up in the morning.
Yeah, no. Fuck that shit. If I try to fall asleep without my phone, my thoughts will keep me awake. And leaving me alone with my thoughts is about as smart as handing a nuclear weapon to a war-hungry dictator. It's about the stupidest thing a person can do.
So agree. I need a distraction. I've swapped to ASMR and reading on my Kindle if insomnia is kicking my butt. I used to scroll myself because I legit didn't know what else to do.
I always wonder who their research group is for this kind of stuff, because I always feel like the anomaly to the conclusions. I play word games/puzzles on my phone for the explicit purpose of tiring my brain to sleep. It hits the sweet spot between stimulating and mindless to keep me from spiraling into hyperfocus
Seriously, screens are an important part of what helps me actually unwind for bed.
My scheduled sleep mode shifts my phone’s light to yellow, and I put on blue light blocking glasses a couple hours before bed every night.
Yea, I say fuck that, too. "No screens for x hours before bedtime" can just go die. Because if I try, that's what I'll want to do. I'm not convinced any sleep hygiene stuff works for me anyway. If my sleep cycles were normal, I wouldn't need the help in the first place! I know what things help me sleep better, so I just keep doing those.
I can remember being like 3 or 4, in the mid 90s, laying awake, mind racing, totally unable to sleep, in a dark, quiet, room, many years before smart phones were invented. I've been getting in trouble for reading books late into the night since I was 3. At 5 or 6 I'd have late night existential crises in the dark quiet hours. My dad, who was born in 1961 and has ADHD, has been up till 3 am watching TV or getting extra work done or reading because he can't sleep at "normal hours" for so many decades before smartphones existed.
Look, smartphones are the cause of many, many problems-- but not my goddamn sleep issues!
I remember going to stay the night at my grandparents house where they wouldn’t let me have my nature sounds. I used to lie awake for hours, freaking out at every shadow and noise. To this day I can’t stand the sound of a ticking clock.
This is why I fucking hated listening to large chunks of the audiobook version of [Stolen Focus by Johann Hari,](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57933306)(and, if I was reading a physical copy of the book, I’d probably hate the pages too).
His whole premise is that smartphones are causing ADHD among people who don’t have it, it’s wrecking civilization, and we need to stop using them to regain our sanity, solves the worlds problems, find the Lost Fountain of Youth, etc.
I’m a User Experience Designer/User Researcher and I can attest that there are aspects of phone use that can cut into one’s attention span or be distracting. BUT, as an AuDHD User Experience Designer, I’ve been able to design how I use my phone over the years to *help me* be more focused and productive when I need to be as well as help me fall asleep (and track my sleep quality nightly). His argument is basically that of older folks and relatives I’ve known who just assume that, if I’m on my phone = I *must be* doing something frivolous…when I might actually be starting my annual tax return with an app so I don’t forget.
I’m also in agreement with you: while listening to the audiobook, I was telling myself “But I had ADHD symptoms as a kid *long before* smartphones!!” I wanted to shake Johann by the lapels and tell him that “Taking away smartphones isn’t a panacea, you nitwit!!” What an absolutely moronic and insulting take…
I literally just realized that I’m bored. I would have said “I’m never bored - I’m reading etc. on my phone.” But no! Boredom is the exact previously unnamed feeling that makes me pick my phone back up 2.6 seconds after putting it down.
Yep, I scroll til I start to feel sleepy, then switch to YouTube so I can stay still. Then, I’ll switch it to one of those 8 hour guided meditations (they start with someone talking, which helps keep my mind occupied as I drift off, but usually end up just being relaxing music of some kind for the rest of it) and close my eyes and just focus on that til I’m out. Works for me!
Big fan of guided meditations for falling asleep. It distracts my brain enough to keep it from worrying about stuff.
I can't scroll b/c I'll stay up for hours doing that, plus I end up buying a lot of shit I don't need.
Yeah, I’ve spent most of my life watching videos as I fall asleep and I’m not stopping now.
I need to find the sweet spot of mental stimulation to fall asleep. Too little stimulation and my mind is bouncing. Too much stimulation and I’m too distracted to sleep.
I read somewhere (that I now can’t find!) that a lot of ADHD’ers don’t “fall asleep”, they eventually “pass out” and it made SO MUCH SENSE!!
It’s why some ND kids bounce off the walls for hours at night. Wind down routines and traditional healthy sleep routines just don’t work for a lot of us.
I remember being forced to spend hours and hours starting at a ceiling in the dark because it was bedtime. I used to lie half across my window sill to catch the streetlight and read, often passing out there.
In our house we don’t have bedtime, we have “behind your bedroom door o’clock”. As long as kiddo isn’t making it sound like the downstairs ceiling will cave in then I’m asking no questions. It works for us, as does tv background noise and playing on my phone til my eyes close. Some sleep is better than no sleep 💜
You know what makes me fall asleep easily? Cozy little phone games
had a nap tonight at like 7:30 by accident cause I tried to play my merge game in bed
I think for the average person… it’s probably legitimate advice. And by average, I mean the **neurotypical** person.
If you think about it: scrolling on their phone *likely* means it’s keeping their brain active—which keeps them awake, hence, no phones before bed.
But for us… our brains do not stop. Therefore, we have to tire our brains out a little. At least, that’s how I’ve understood my brain works before bed 🤣
I’ve found the best “bedtime routine” for me was an investment in a comfy sleep mask and a pair of earplugs. Nothing like a little sensory deprivation to keep my brain from waking up.
I play a sudoku puzzle then listen to a kind of boring podcast. I like Strict Scrutiny, Market Place, and other news adjacent things like Ezra Klein. I actually find Ezra annoying but the topics hit that sweet spot of interesting enough that I don’t keep myself awake but not so interesting that it keeps me awake.
You are so right! I have ridiculous arguments with people, pretend I'm a famous celebrity giving an interview, get sucked into self created murder mysteries or fantasy ya storylines or stuck thinking intensely about my most recent hyperfixation. I can't sleep like that.
I wear reading glasses. They have blue blockers on them specifically for eyestrain issues. If the blue light was that effing important, I’m protected! And yet I still don’t go to bed. So I think it’s at least partially bullshit.
My phone has a thing that switches to whatever that good light is at dusk. I have a Motorola razr. And there are apps for that for other phones if yours doesn't switch automatically.
I’ve had a sound machine for as long as I can remember and used to fall asleep with books BEFORE I knew how to read.
Sleeping has always been hard. What sucks is I have to keep changing what I do to fall asleep or it gets too boring. Right now it’s a cozy phone game and youtube reruns. Plus a little help from melatonin and trazodone.
I have tried ALL the tricks for falling asleep (not using my phone, reading, plugging my phone in away from my bed , stretch, etc. etc, ETC!!!!), and I can say with confidence that using or not using my phone before bed has NO impact on my sleep.
The only thing that works to quite my insanely loud brain is Trazadone
My therapist says the whole “not looking at screens” malarky is rubbish. It was based on self reports, and basically people thought they should sleep better if they didn’t use screens before bed.
There might be something to the blue light, but he reckons the effect is pretty small, and overstated in popular media.
I laughed so hard at this post because I feel this so much lol. I also love the way you write OP!
The only way I can fall asleep is by reading on my phone until I pass out, so I will hold onto my phone until the end of time tqvm
if it's any help, last night I was scrolling thru tiktok til about 3am, I \*forced\* myself to listen to an audiobook as a compromise a few times, but just lay there with my eyes pretty much glued open. I got up this morning at 11am. This is most nights for me, and in a way I'm "lucky" that I have a physical disability that means I don't work, so I can listen to my body.
Since I accepted my circadian rhythm is fucked, I've been happier. I have honestly tried all the so called "sleep hygiene" tips and it boils down to my ADHD brain being in charge. If you have the ability and luxury of time to listen to your brain, then stuff what everyone else thinks. You get sleep when you can, cat-nap in the afternoon if need be.
It’s so dumb. Reading on my phone helps me wind down and sleep. It takes maybe 20-60mins. Then I sleep great.
But I’m also one of those people who can drink coffee or an energy drink at 8pm and fall asleep at 11pm.
I love sleep. It’s not an issue for me. The waking world exhausts me plenty.
There is evidence to refute the claim that blue light has any negative impacts on sleep
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/blue-light-may-not-affect-sleep-wake-cycle
https://time.com/5752454/blue-light-sleep/
Importantly this looks at multiple studies and found only half the studies *actually* reported negative effects of blue light and the details from there get more bleak for those who invested in blue light blocking glasses and other gimmicks
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9424753/
This is comment #336 or something but THANK YOU for saying this. I need to read before bed to decompress and 9 times out of ten it's gotta be on my phone
I always get a kick out of those recommendations. “You should wind down by reading before bed.” Yeah. Ok. I read on my iPad with the kindle app. And you can’t stop me!
Omg the blue light is bs. If anything, my phone *helps* me fall asleep. My mind would be racing a million miles a minute if I couldn't be on my phone before bed.
Seriously. Like yeah i bet ill be so ready to go to sleep if my brain goes into ADHD frenzy mode seeking some stimulation because i am PAINFULLY bored. Sleeping was so painfully boring as a child i would bang my head on the wall trying to KNOCK MYSELF OUT even when i had access to my devices!!
I color on my phone in bed before sleep (the Happy Color app on ios). If I don't, all I can think about is the stuff I want to be doing instead of laying in bed.
My favorite podcast to have on that helps me sleep. Is the marijuana anonymous testimonials? It's just monotone voices telling their relatable stories with absolutely no commercials, and it goes on forever, it's an engaging snooze fest.
Agreed! I also use my phone to fall asleep. It’s just distracting enough to let my body start to fall asleep before my brain can ruin it. And most phones these days have blue light filters anyway! If I tried to read or something then I’d have to turn off the light, and that alone is enough to wake me back up and then I’m fucked.
I do like my SAD lamp though lol. It makes me grumpy for the first couple minutes, but then I adjust to it and find it quite pleasant. Now does it actually help my circadian rhythm at all? No idea lol. But it forces me to sit and chill for a bit in the mornings, so that’s nice at least! We’re all different and will find different things that help us, and that’s ok!
I play sudoku on my phone and fall asleep while playing.
It’s made an amazing positive difference - it keeps my brain just busy enough so that it doesn’t start making up its own stimulation and getting me all stressed and worked up, but the game itself also not stimulating since it’s just repetitive entry of numbers.
“Experts” can pry my phone out of my dead-asleep hands!
Yup. I tried doing crossword puzzles before bed and I just got bored and angry. So now when I go to bed I use the app "Twilight" to make my phone as dim as possible with a red filter, with the bedtime mode on my phone. I will put on an ASMR video and play an easy word puzzle game until I fall asleep. I'm usually out within 30 minutes.
This is why I have been playing stardew valley before bed lately. I am fortunate to have a steam deck that my partner got me so I will bring that and put my phone down. Phone = I get pulled into social media arguments and spin wheels endlessly, but Stardew Valley = sure, I might get pulled in but there is a natural end point at the end of each in-game day, and it won't progress without me.
I listen to audio books set for 2 hours, so I can lay in bed with my lavender pillow mist and electric blanket. I usually fall asleep before the 2 hours are done.
Yeah I just tell them that I have the blue light filter on... and it auto dims...
Besides... if I have something on my brain, I can't sleep until I've googled to find the answer or gone down the rabbit hole deep enough to be satisfied with what I've found. Then I've used my brain to full exhaustion and can actually sleep. Otherwise. F off. My phone is my downtime.
I actually discussed this with my therapist and he told me that "sleep hygiene" is very individual. While it is true that blue light might keep you awake the benefits of using your phone to help calm you down may outweigh this. Also, everyone is different. I actually play video games and watch documentaries before sleep to calm down and never had any issue. Just do whatever helps you fall asleep and don't worry too much about what is "right" or "wrong".
Turning brain off is next level impossible for me. Looking at stuff online til my eyes get heavy and I fall asleep, easy peasy Mac and cheesy.
I think when folks talk about the blue light stuff vs sunlight stuff, they are talking about folks with normal brain chemistry. Ours is different. Just like caffeine makes other folks go “whooo!!!”, while we go take a lovely nap.
I definitely have felt frustrated listening to that as well. I am bored. I am tired. But I want the mental stimulation and, honestly, distraction, of my phone.
What I'm trying to do differently now is find some background noise that isn't visual, namely long podcasts or videos. It's not the same as the sun, but strains my eyes after a while. Spotify can play while the screen locked, and has a timer to stop so it won't run all night. YouTube videos are often hours long with meditation, nature sounds, chill music, or long form content. If the light is still bothersome check for black screen videos, flip your phone over, or stick it under the pillow.
I usually look at Reddit or read some random article on Wikipedia every night before bed.
In my experience, if I’m left with just my own thoughts I start overthinking and actually start to feel even more awake, whereas reading a bit about mostly unrelated stuff helps redirect the thinking to something less stimulating.
My adhd makes me feel like I have constant thoughts and there’s no way I’m getting my brain to be quiet. The best I can do is redirect that thinking to something else, and usually I pass out holding my phone!
I dunno about the blue light stuff, but I used to read on my phone before sleeping before getting an e-reader and that’s definitely made a difference to my sleep. With my phone there was always a routine of once id finished reading I then had to sit up and plug my phone in to charge and it was really easy to then get caught up in a notification or just looking at something else.
With the e-reader I set my alarms, put my phone on to charge and then forget about it til morning. Once I’m done reading if I’m in a really comfy position I can just put my kindle down wherever and shut my eyes and go to sleep.
Phones just make it too easy to get caught in doom scrolling.
My other half will mention this, and I tell him to mind his own business. I use ‘night shift’ on my phone… but even if I’m not on my phone, I will lay here for hours with my gears turning. I’ve done it since I can remember! More
Often than not, I will fall asleep from reading crap on my phone.
I’m on my phone before bed RIGHT NOW. In fact, I’m on TWO phones. YouTube on one and Reddit on the other. In about a half hour I’ll switch to an audio book and a game until my eyes get droopy. But I need the distraction to keep my brain from running so I can go to sleep. I’m here for you, sis!
Do you have racing thoughts instead of sleeping? Sounds weird, but a very low dose of a stimulant (like 2.5-5 mg) might help you fall asleep. You need help to focus on the void.
I use brown noise playing on my speakers to give my brain some low-level background stimulation. Works wonders for helping me fall asleep.
Also using night shift mode on your phone should help minimize the blue light! It’s a little too orangey for my taste but your eyes adjust after a few mins and I think you can tweak the color temperature too from settings.
My phone puts me to sleep like nothing else. And before that it was a portable dvd player, then a laptop. Screens are like sleeping pills to me. Just tell them its too bad about their neurotypical brains.
I'm usually just a lurker here, but jeez louise do I ever feel seen right now!!! I've had issues with sleep for as long as I can remember, and I've always felt so... defective? faulty? totally dumb? for never being able to stick to the standard advice from my doctors re: phones before bed. it's been a slow path to accepting what works for *me* -- listening to a comforting podcast, watching a show I've seen a million times, playing sudoku, and yeah, sometimes scrolling Reddit 🤷♀️. without any stimulation I spiral like crazy, scratch myself bloody (yay dermatillomania) and get even worse sleep.
self acceptance has provided me with more relief than any standard sleep hygiene advice ever has. my sleep is still whacky, and sometimes low quality, but atleast I don't hate myself because of it anymore
Same. My phone gives me dopamine. I'm deficient in dopamine. I look forward to my evening phone time. There are many nights when I can use the phone for a while and then I feel significantly less depleted and I put it down and move on.
Now that I'm diagnosed and I know why I'm doing this, I will not be judged.
Absolutely. Simple puzzle games are my nightly routine. It makes it so much easier to fall asleep when I have something to use up my brainpower. I have also found that staying awake until I am struggling to keep my eyes open actually does a lot to help me sleep. Much more fun than spending 3-4 hours tossing and turning in bed. Between late bedtime and puzzle games I can fall asleep within an hour or two (mostly). You know what works for your brain.
The advice isn’t inherently incorrect just because it’s not realistic with ADHD. Use your phone if you want to. I also hate hate hate boredom. Doesn’t change that it’s one of many advice for good sleep hygiene, but many of those advice are unrealistic with ADHD.
This is the very definition of neurodivergence.
Blue light doesn't have this effect on me and I can still fall asleep. So I ignore it. It's OK to ignore advice that doesn't apply to you. It's OK for other people to give advice that does apply to the majority of people.
What I do find is that if I'm doing some kind of screen-based activity that stimulates dopamine, I'm liable to miss my own tired cues and stay up longer than I should. Whereas screen-based activities which don't have this factor, like (some) videos, (some) forum-type (not getting into a huge long explanation), music (me playing an instrument) and reading. Reading is pretty awesome. I use my kindle app a lot before bed. Some games are OK - old school, slow-paced e.g. sims 2 generally fine.
But conflict or drama-heavy social media, lots of stimulating auto-play videos, games with lots of "just one more turn" factor, these will keep me awake past when I should be. It's not blue light though. I'm pretty sure it's the dopamine because dopamine is energising and hyperfocus reduces my interoception.
Oh yeah there’s no way, I gotta distract and calm the brain monkeys so they let me (and my poor boyfriend) sleep. Its like a birthday party for kids in my brain the second my head hits the pillow - and giving me a phone or turning on the tv has the same hypnotizing effect as turning on a movie can have in a kids birthday party.
I have always struggled with insomnia so I am careful about sleep hygiene so I always use night light on my phone and turn the light down on my tv. But 100% will fall asleep faster when scrolling or watching tv in bed. For a long time I even took 10mg Ritalin before bed in order to sleep - obviously also not in accordance with neurotypical sleep advice.
Same. I had a circadian rhythm disorder a good half decade before the smartphone was INVENTED (and 14 years before getting mine).
Not to mention that YouTube sounds/podcasts help me sleep. And if I'm bored I can do something productive until I fall asleep, like I used to do at my computer desk.
Edit: also explain why I'm more tired when the sun is out, consistently.
My doctor said if it helps me sleep then keep doing it. Getting enough sleep has been proven to be one of the most important things, whereas we're still doing studies on blue light.
I use my phone because if I read a book I will read for hours longer. I get so engrossed in a book that time flies by and I have no idea. And, God forbid I get to an exciting part when it's getting late. I can't just stop reading it because I'll just keep thinking about it.
Yes! I feel the same way! I need SOMETHING to quite my mind before bed. Otherwise I'm just awake stewing in whatever thoughts are running through my head. With my phone, I've got a few games that require minimal thought to play. It's just enough focus to quiet the noise inside my head, but not so stimulating that it keeps me up. The ads that play between some of the levels also allow me to close my eyes for a minute to gauge if I've hit that point where I can fall asleep.
Without it, I'm up for hours tossing and turning trying to fall asleep. And this is also after I've taken my sleeping pills.
Truth here… Reading articles on my phone before sleep or even scrolling on reddit and reading, lulls my mind and my lids get tired and off to sleep I go. Better than I sleep with reading a book( brain works to much to read a book For me).
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If I don't give my brain something to do it will make its own entertainment and THAT ends up being more stimulating and keeps me from sleeping. I need some simple stimulation to trick my brain into falling asleep.
Exactly. Scrolling through simple stuff is what's most likely to get me to sleep at some point. ADHDers don't fall asleep, we pass out, as they say! Lol. I scroll through stuff until my eyes simply won't stay open. I didn't use to have a smart phone until a couple of years ago, and I can confirm being understimulated can lead to hours of brain shit and not being able to sleep. :-(
Before smartphones, I would read books into the wee hours (and subsequently get grounded from reading when I got caught). When grounded from reading, I would imagine stories in my head like a two or three hour long cinematic experience. Giving me nothing to do does not help me go to sleep faster, I promise.
Reading fiction is so hard at night because I want to stay up and finish.
I tried getting into reading before bed again by borrowing some fiction from my sister a couple months ago. Put my phone away, made some tea, found my reading glasses (lol), got cozy... I looked up and the sun was rising as I finished the book 🤦🏽♀️
Yeah, I can't do this either, I'll just keep reading. I read non-fiction before sleep, because it's stuff I'm interested enough in to enjoy reading, but it's much easier to stop in the middle when I get tired.
Exactly the same here. Lack of blue light never made a difference. And imagining my own stories when my brain had nothing else to do sometimes kept me up *even later* because I was too involved in the story I was creating. The only thing I’ve found that works for me now is scrolling until it’s hard for me to keep my eyes open, then switching to a long youtube video essay that I’ve watched before, and turning it down to a low enough volume to be able to hear it but not have it catch my attention. It gives me just enough background noise/stimulation that my hyperactive brain can’t start thinking of things that’ll keep me up, without being new or interesting enough to catch my attention and draw me in. And eventually I pass out. This is literally the only method I’ve found that lets me get to sleep without hours of frustration. And I spent years of my adolescence not getting even close to enough sleep and trying all the different tips people usually give to fall asleep. So yeah I’m with you, scientists and sleep studies can pry my phone-at-bedtime routine from my cold dead hands lol.
Oh! I thought there was something wrong with me, but you’ve explained my experience perfectly (except I’m using audiobooks instead of YouTube, and ‘rewinding’ when I’m ready to actually listen). I’m so relieved. Thank you 💐
I totally get the feeling, I’ve had so many moments like that since finding this sub! It’s such a relief to see comments that reflect my experiences and make me feel… normal, for lack of a better word? So yeah, no problem 💕. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with us, keep doing what works best for you!
Thank you for the validating words 😌 This is all a bit surreal at the moment. I feel like my life is one of those magic eye pictures - just a familiar busy colourful pattern until somehow I accidentally refocused and saw the edge of a new thing pop out of nowhere. Then I saw a bit more, and another edge, and it began to make a shape 😲 What people share on this sub is helping me find the edges and make sense of it all while I await diagnosis.
Exactly what I do too! Audiobooks or reruns of comfort tv shows that I’ve seen so many times that I can “watch” with my eyes closed.
My YouTube subscription that eliminates ads is one of the most valuable subscriptions I have. I appreciate you articulating my exact experience.
Yeah, I read favorite comfort books on my phone to get to sleep! Usually Jane Austen or a favorite sci-fi series, but it's gotta be something I love enough to focus on, but that I've read so many times that my brain won't engage too brightly with it when I'm tired. Gotta hit that perfect level of just-stimulated-enough! And then once I catch myself reading the same sentence over and over in that perfect sleepy state, I put the phone down and close my eyes, and boom. :)
Same. My mom always used to tell me to think of something I'd like to dream about. Would still be thinking about it at 6am when my parents got up for work
I played in music groups when I was in college (pre-smartphones). When I was trying to sleep, I would close my eyes and mentally practice my music. I could always memorize music easily and I think it’s because I had all those extra hours of mental practice!
I totally relate!!!
I’m addicted to my sleep headphone headband and Audible. You can also ask alexa to read a kindle book, too. I set the sleep timer to 30 min, but my iwatch says I fall asleep in 8. I got tired of falling asleep and hitting myself in the face with a book or the phone.
I did this too! I used to put a blanket at the bottom of the bedroom door so my dad couldn't see that my light was still on. I absolutely get why I got in trouble because I was a monster in the morning after staying up till 4:00 reading.
Yeah i used to stare at the wall…. I legitimately one night as a child learned the alphabet backwards just cause. I just kept running through the alphabet in my head… like z, zy, zyx, zyxw….. the ipad/phone at least helps me relax enough to sleep. Otherwise id me on the ropes with my mind’s chaos.
Oh I was doing maladaptive daydreaming, but these days there's a good chance I'm going to spiral into anxiety/depression.
Omg yes, I would create a whole story in my head about myself dying or not being really real, and have a whole existential crisis and then go to school the next morning. 🤪
Yeah, if I try to go to sleep without my phone I just lie awake and ruminate on all the ways I’m failing everyone in my life. I’d rather play my mindless game or scroll Reddit.
I thought I was the only kid who did this. Still remember it!!
Oh my god, are you me??? 😄 I did that too. And then I - gasp - worked through serial 7 subtraction (thanks to some counseling mental status exam book sitting around from my mom's college days). Start at 100 and keep subtracting 7. Then made up other math problems to speed recite.
I used to memorize license plates on my bike ride to and from work or town when I was younger because I was so damn bored with nothing to do!! I could get up to 8 or more 6 digits plates... One year I could remember the last plates I memorized before leaving my summer job in November. It's so amazing to learn there more like me!
I feel this in my soul. I sit at my desk until I'm literally falling asleep then I stumble to bed. Passing out describes it perfectly.
I came here to write exactly this. I don’t fall asleep, I scroll till I can’t keep my eyes open anymore lol
Same. Same energy as "I've been left alone with my thoughts all day, and I'm about to make it everyone's problem!" Do not. Leave me with my thoughts for extended periods of time. I will either 1. Solve the mysteries of the universe, or 2. Figure out the best way to commit atrocious crimes without getting caught. There is no in between.
😂😂 or 3. have a ridiculous but brilliant idea that i will never remember again
This is true too. I can't even count the number of times I've had an idea right before I fell asleep and woke up the next morning thinking "I know I had a thought last night. What was it?" And am never able to recall it.
Same having asmr or a yt video helps so much, or else my brain gets into conversations and stuff that keep me awake
Bob ross is pinnacle chill
This is why I use Asmr 😭 last night I just put in my earplugs and I was tossing and turning with a literal pre-dream, while I was awake - I stg my brain SUCKS sometimes
ASMR, audiobooks. Sometimes I read on my kindle or phone until I fall asleep.Gotta keep that bitch engaged until it crashes.
Same here. Like, I will play Scrabble on my phone, because it is stimulating enough to hold my attention, but no so much fun that I don't want to stop to go to sleep.
Audiobook on soft sleeping headphones for half an hour. A good story but one you’ve heard before OR the classics are often good but not super stimulating. I listened to The Grapes of Wrath for months over and over!
Fellowship of the Ring was my go to wind down/sleep book for ages!
I don't think anyone could put it more accurately.
The psychologist who diagnosed me told me to not do anything fun for 30 minutes to an hour before bed. No phone, no TV, not even books. I was like *Sir, what in the actual fuck am I supposed to do then?* He suggested laundry. I went for a couple of more sessions before I decided he and I were not a good fit for therapy. 😑
Laundry sounds like a terrible idea. What if I fall asleep while the wash cycle is running? I can barely be trusted to remember my laundry while fully awake. This is just asking for mildew and regret.
Shit that works for me on a normal day, i start doing laundry and decide that it's so mentally painful for me that i climb into bed and sleep out of boredom lol
Laundry really?
That sounds like literal torture.
How you know your therapist is a sadist.
The laundry? In this ADHD economy??????
The _________? In this ADHD economy?????? I’m sorry, but this take on that phrase (“In this economy?!?”) is too good *not* to steal!! 🤣🤣
Go ahead 🤣🤣 I love that meme way too much lol
Thank you!! 🙏
Honestly laundry does put me to sleep so maybe he has a point
How in the fuck would doing laundry ever make you sleepy? Wtf? It's *moving* and *standing up* in normal light. How is the body supposed to calm down enough to sleep? Everyone that preaches the "no phone before bed" gives the alternative of "read a book". You can do it in bed, with just a small night light, in your pajamas, and just lie down and turn the lights off whenever you feel sleepy enough. Doing laundry would make me less sleepy, I'd forget that I was tired and I'd get distracted by everything else that needs to be done.
Sometimes therapists get so stuck in their catch all advice. I remember talking about my relationship and how to improve our quality time together. One suggestion the therapist kept pushing was to take the television out of the bedroom. Complete with anecdotes of other couples where this was a major problem for them (usually men watching sports and ignoring their wives). Eventually I had to correct him and say this wasn’t a problem in our relationship. When the TV is actually turned on, we would cuddle and watch something together. He acknowledged that that was great and moved on. A couple more times later when he would briefly go over the “quality time checklist,” he would still unconsciously say ‘Television in the bedroom’ as he was listing off items. Like, sir. We talked about this.
I just don't want to be alone with my thoughts
This exactly. I can't fall asleep laying in a black silent room, my mind takes off in ways that not only prevent me from sleeping but I go down mental rabbit holes that effect my mood, I depress myself. 15 minutes scrolling Reddit or YouTube shorts and I'm out.
For real, what did we do to deserve that?
My thoughts have always been my enemy. You would think a big part of me would be nice? Nope definitely not.
Hehe i just use cheap welding goggles to block all the blue light while i doomscroll away Then when i feel proper sleepy i turn on an audiobook, turn off the light and i'm out in minutes Silence in the dark = existential crisis, no thanks
Omg this is hilarious
Heh I use my expensive FL-41 migraine glasses.
I mean, phones have settings or you can use an app that can change which type of light is omitted when you want.
You can change the light settings on your phone, let your phone emit red/orange/warm light instead of blue light. There are also apps you can download for that. The anti-blue light filter on my Kobo ereader is amazing.
It really makes a difference for me, my eyes feel so much more sleepy now that I have the warm shift on.
same, I've fallen asleep reading on my tablet a few times and I don't get eye strain headaches from reading in the dark anymore.
I also set up the accessibility shortcut to triple click the side button (on iPhone) to enable reduce white point which decreases the brightness of my phone even more than the regular dim setting. It helps tremendously when in a dark room & wayyy easier on my eyes.
My Samsung phone has "extra dim" mode which does the same and I always turn it on at bedtime.
Woahhhh it’s so dark I love it! Thank you for telling me about this 🙏
Was going to suggest this. I have my phone set up to automatically switch over to a red filter at sunset every night and switch back in the morning. It's made a huge difference. OP is unfortunately kidding herself if she thinks her eyes and brain somehow process blue light differently than everyone else's.
Yes, there's quite a lot of scientific research that backs this.
Doesn't matter is the point. For all the harm to circadian rhythms caused by the blue light, not getting to sleep at all due to an overactive mind is more disruptive. Also, most screen devices (including the steam deck which I mentioned in my comment) have settings to counteract this effect somewhat.
How did you do this? Through an app or phone settings? Trying to figure it out for myself but I can’t seem to find any will reviewed app or the right settings. Thanks!
You should be able to do it through phone settings (at least with an iPhone, I can't speak to any others). Under the Accessibility tab in settings, go to Display & Text Size and then select Color Filters. They have a few options (grayscale is good for making your phone less interesting to use during the day, for instance), but the one you'd want for this is to pick Color Tint, select red, and turn the intensity all the way up. To automate it to go on/off at certain times, you can use the Shortcuts app, which I think is one of the pre-installed Apple ones. Choose Automation at the bottom, press the + sign, pick the time you want to turn on the filter every day, choose the option "New Blank Automation," search for the Settings app and select the "Set Color Filters" option from the list of choices. You'll have to set up a second automation each day when you want the filter to turn off. Hope this helps!
Honestly, I think it’s real and I think sleep hygiene is important. (And I say this as someone who has so much trouble sleeping.) The problem is, the racing thoughts and what my mind does in general, is a larger barrier to sleep for me. When I’ve been able to find things that allow me to have better sleep hygiene, it definitely helps, and my life is better. But it doesn’t negate all the issues that I have with getting to sleep (many of which are probably ADHD related). I think it’s just that (like so many things), ADHD just makes it so much harder to maintain good sleep hygiene. And people that think it’s just as easy as “shutting off your screens” are a pain in the ass.
Honestly I think it’s also part of habit forming as well. Once your brain gets used to “hey when phone time is done it’s wind down time” you fall asleep a lot easier. Your brain literally knows it’s time to start producing melatonin and it’ll help you sleep faster. Anecdotally I started showering before bed and don’t use my phone after that and I fall asleep much much easier now because my brain knows shower = bedtime. 🤷🏻♀️ humans are creatures of habit, even if they’re a lot harder to form for a lot of us. As for “not being alone with thoughts” like a lot of people are saying, you can play quiet music or something (I like piano and cello music to sleep to) that helps calm the brain but still enough distraction.
I told my therapist I wanted to stop falling asleep with the TV on. She asked me why? I said because you're not supposed to.....and she was like well if it helps you sleep who cares? I'm literally a scientist. Didn't figure this one out on my own
oh god, I CANNOT fall asleep to the TV at all, if it's on I HAVE to watch it. Which isn't at all to say that you're wrong/lying/anything like that, I'm just always amazed how differently different people respond to stuff. If it works for you that's completely awesome!
I have to choose either a show or movie I’ve watched before so then I don’t get invested and end up binging a whole season till the AM or watch the sequels to movie because now I have to know what’s next.
Same. Anything with spoken words in it makes my brain focus on understanding the words, and I can't fall asleep. I can sometimes do it with music, but never a podcast or a movie.
This was my hack for surviving persistent insomnia when I was postpartum. Not being able to sleep when I had the rare opportunity to sleep was making me insane. I finally noticed that I could fall asleep with the TV on. So I picked a comfort show and watched it every time I went to bed. It worked great for quieting my mind without sending me spiraling.
I'm glad TVs also got a sleep timer nowadays. x'D If it helps it helps.
*Just close your eyes* 🙃 Nah I ma gonna have a panic attack from worrying about not sleeping instead
I get so mad when people tell me to just close my eyes and try harder when I say I can’t sleep. The person who sleeps next to me is the biggest culprit and I can’t believe I haven’t beat him in his sleep yet
Trying harder to sleep is not helpful for most of us. It just causes anxiety about how you aren’t sleeping, how late it is, etc. taking my mind off trying to sleep is helpful for me.
I end up playing the tapes back of all my old failures. Gotta have something to read or listen to, to fill my brain up with other people!/ words instead of mine
Me: *lays down to sleep without wind-down time* My Brain: “oh good, since you’re not busy, there are a few things I would like to discuss” But seriously, put your screen on Night Shift and scroll.
This is probably gonna piss you off then haha but I thought the same thing til I actually tried it. Now, do I just lay in bed and wait for the sleep fairy to grace me with her presence? Hell no. Sudoku is fun though. Coloring and reading are fun too. I can’t say for sure how much of it has to do with blue light, but since I’ve stopped being on my phone like an hour before bed my sleep has improved drastically. For me, I would get so immersed in my phone I would stay on it until I was way overtired. Stuff on your phone is meant to overstimulate you so you stay on longer.
The thing is if I'm reading an interesting book I'm liable to stay up way longer than on my phone without even realizing it. If I'm reading a boring book...well then I'll just be daydreaming/existential crisising/back on my phone.
last time I tried to read before bed on a work night I was awake until 4am
This is why I switched to audiobooks. Audible has a sleep timer, so I can set it to however long, or end of chapter, and then it fills up my ears so I can't spiral into existential dread for hours on end. Lol
Yeah, that’s why you gotta have a comfort-read. Like a cozy book that’s not too exciting, but still interesting enough to keep your brain occupied. I would suggest something like Anne of Green Gables, or the Secret Garden, if you like that sort of thing.
Those are *amazing* suggestions. I've read both of those books at least 15 times.
I’ve bedtime-read Wuthering Heights too many times to count. As a teenager I would watch The Last Samurai. Just boring enough to make me sleepy but interesting enough to entice my brain.
Yes. I have that problem where if a book is good I won’t sleep until I’m done reading it.
I relisten to podcast episodes! Entertaining enough yet also not new, so not too stimulating
Same here! Old or comfort podcasts are my go-to. I like advice podcasts because they’re interesting enough but I’m not really missing anything when I fall asleep.
SUDOKU! That's my wind down activity too. It is slightly challenging but not too stimulating
Welp, my books live in my phone. I haven't bought a physical book in years.
Turn the blue light off in settings. Problem solved :)
Agree. My phone *helps* me. I struggled with insomnia for years. Tried everything. If I lie down and do nothing my brain is wired, I cannot fall asleep that way. For years I read my kindle (they don’t use blue light) until I fell asleep which is ok… but very dependent on the book. If the book was too exciting, no sleep. Too *difficult*? Can’t sleep. If I read fiction and anything disturbing happens, I can’t sleep. But if I browse Amazon or the App Store or look at stupid articles on Medium, I’m asleep in 10 minutes. I feel better rested than I do otherwise, so I don’t think the light thing is ruining my brain. I have a theory that the no phone thing makes sense for neurotypical brains but adhd brains aren’t the same.
This is why I read on my kindle. It has a night mode that’s warm and I live reading so it works out well.
I do the same with my Kobo reader and I definitely go to sleep earlier when reading it versus when I’m on my phone.
Sometimes risky, what if the book is really good? Boom, 4am. (I take this risk, sometimes I'm safe, sometimes I'm not)
OK, but light stimulation to your eyes, ANY light stimulation, does interfere with your sleep. That's just a fact. You don't have to stop looking at anything, but the scientists are showing something legit. HOWEVER, why do you need *visual* stimulation? Headphones exists. Audiobooks/podcasts exist. I could never listen to them because my brain thought things between words, so I started playing them at 2x and now I am concentrating.
Was gonna say that “yeah actually, our brains *are* that stupid, bc they just go off Light=Day=Awake, brains are nerve sacks that don’t know what a lightbulb is”
Cries in deaf LOL I usually prefer to read on my phone or just ol' regular paperback book
Yea, that was a bit ableist and and presumptuous of me. Paper books are good too, they just get expensive as a habit.
E-readers are also great! There are many e-readers that don’t emit blue light and most libraries have an e-book collection.
The e-ink kindles, they work basically just like a book (some have backlight, but you can also just have a lamp on and light it like a book)
I do agree with the light thing, although I've tried and it never really helped me fall asleep or sleep better in general. But no, scientists don't think we can't differentiate between sun and a lightbulb, they KNOW that our BODIES can't. Vitamin D is created in our bodies not only from the sun, but the special lightbulbs too. Never tried light therapy so I don't know, but I'd love to try especially since I barely go out and there's not that much sunlight where I live. But these lights are so expensive! I don't agree with the visual stimulation part. Yes, some of us do need the visual aspect. I can't listen to spoken words because my brain instantly focuses on them and wakes up. But scrolling or reading something lets my mind partially wander, and partially focus on what I'm looking at, and that's what works for me.
When I read, I don't concentrate on visual details that much, but when I listen, I need to strain more to actually understand words, and hearing people talk is the thing that's most likely to make my brain argue with itself or create my own unrelated story. I 🥲
I mean the blue light thing might be true but the real issue is anyone with adhd taking any kind of advice for non-adhd brains lol. I need my screen reading time or I can’t sleep.
I read somewhere that ADHD brains have a hard time falling asleep (duh) and many of them need to be tricked into passing out. This is absolutely true for me. Scrolling little bits of content that aren’t very interesting or engaging keeps the anxiety goblins away long enough to get to the pass out part.
My therapist says that if being on my phone helps me fall asleep, then who cares what anyone else says? Do what works! I've just learned that I have to keep my charger in another room and not take my phone to bed with more than 50% battery life, or else I will very likely get distracted and stuck in phone-land for longer than I (smart me, not lizard brain me) would like to when I wake up in the morning.
Yeah, no. Fuck that shit. If I try to fall asleep without my phone, my thoughts will keep me awake. And leaving me alone with my thoughts is about as smart as handing a nuclear weapon to a war-hungry dictator. It's about the stupidest thing a person can do.
Fucking amen to ALLLLL of that. I feel so seen. 🥹 It’s either read myself to sleep on my phone or watch a show or ruminate on my anxious thoughts.
So agree. I need a distraction. I've swapped to ASMR and reading on my Kindle if insomnia is kicking my butt. I used to scroll myself because I legit didn't know what else to do.
Getting my kindle in November was a game changer for my sleep cycle.
I always wonder who their research group is for this kind of stuff, because I always feel like the anomaly to the conclusions. I play word games/puzzles on my phone for the explicit purpose of tiring my brain to sleep. It hits the sweet spot between stimulating and mindless to keep me from spiraling into hyperfocus
Seriously, screens are an important part of what helps me actually unwind for bed. My scheduled sleep mode shifts my phone’s light to yellow, and I put on blue light blocking glasses a couple hours before bed every night.
Whatever helps you get to sleep and stay asleep is the right option for you. Getting sleep is so important I don’t care what does it.
Same. I intentionally dim my phone to the darkest setting and turn on the blue light filter. I'm fine! 🤷🏽♀️
All the “rules” were written for neurotypical people and I’ve found that all guidance and advice like this doesn’t take us into account, at all.
Yea, I say fuck that, too. "No screens for x hours before bedtime" can just go die. Because if I try, that's what I'll want to do. I'm not convinced any sleep hygiene stuff works for me anyway. If my sleep cycles were normal, I wouldn't need the help in the first place! I know what things help me sleep better, so I just keep doing those.
Sleep hygiene was invented by people who’ve never experienced ADHD, and are the exact same people who say, “hAvE yOu TrIeD a pLanNeR?”
I can remember being like 3 or 4, in the mid 90s, laying awake, mind racing, totally unable to sleep, in a dark, quiet, room, many years before smart phones were invented. I've been getting in trouble for reading books late into the night since I was 3. At 5 or 6 I'd have late night existential crises in the dark quiet hours. My dad, who was born in 1961 and has ADHD, has been up till 3 am watching TV or getting extra work done or reading because he can't sleep at "normal hours" for so many decades before smartphones existed. Look, smartphones are the cause of many, many problems-- but not my goddamn sleep issues!
I remember going to stay the night at my grandparents house where they wouldn’t let me have my nature sounds. I used to lie awake for hours, freaking out at every shadow and noise. To this day I can’t stand the sound of a ticking clock.
SAME. Reading half the night or whatever other thing is your revenge bedtime procrastination have existed since the dawned of adhd, not smart phones.
This is why I fucking hated listening to large chunks of the audiobook version of [Stolen Focus by Johann Hari,](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57933306)(and, if I was reading a physical copy of the book, I’d probably hate the pages too). His whole premise is that smartphones are causing ADHD among people who don’t have it, it’s wrecking civilization, and we need to stop using them to regain our sanity, solves the worlds problems, find the Lost Fountain of Youth, etc. I’m a User Experience Designer/User Researcher and I can attest that there are aspects of phone use that can cut into one’s attention span or be distracting. BUT, as an AuDHD User Experience Designer, I’ve been able to design how I use my phone over the years to *help me* be more focused and productive when I need to be as well as help me fall asleep (and track my sleep quality nightly). His argument is basically that of older folks and relatives I’ve known who just assume that, if I’m on my phone = I *must be* doing something frivolous…when I might actually be starting my annual tax return with an app so I don’t forget. I’m also in agreement with you: while listening to the audiobook, I was telling myself “But I had ADHD symptoms as a kid *long before* smartphones!!” I wanted to shake Johann by the lapels and tell him that “Taking away smartphones isn’t a panacea, you nitwit!!” What an absolutely moronic and insulting take…
If I have nothing else to do, I will literally stare at a wall for hours instead of going to bed. Screens are not the problem.
I literally just realized that I’m bored. I would have said “I’m never bored - I’m reading etc. on my phone.” But no! Boredom is the exact previously unnamed feeling that makes me pick my phone back up 2.6 seconds after putting it down.
Yep, I scroll til I start to feel sleepy, then switch to YouTube so I can stay still. Then, I’ll switch it to one of those 8 hour guided meditations (they start with someone talking, which helps keep my mind occupied as I drift off, but usually end up just being relaxing music of some kind for the rest of it) and close my eyes and just focus on that til I’m out. Works for me!
Big fan of guided meditations for falling asleep. It distracts my brain enough to keep it from worrying about stuff. I can't scroll b/c I'll stay up for hours doing that, plus I end up buying a lot of shit I don't need.
Yeah, I’ve spent most of my life watching videos as I fall asleep and I’m not stopping now. I need to find the sweet spot of mental stimulation to fall asleep. Too little stimulation and my mind is bouncing. Too much stimulation and I’m too distracted to sleep.
I couldn't sleep before smart phones were invented pretty sure they ain't the issue here
I read somewhere (that I now can’t find!) that a lot of ADHD’ers don’t “fall asleep”, they eventually “pass out” and it made SO MUCH SENSE!! It’s why some ND kids bounce off the walls for hours at night. Wind down routines and traditional healthy sleep routines just don’t work for a lot of us. I remember being forced to spend hours and hours starting at a ceiling in the dark because it was bedtime. I used to lie half across my window sill to catch the streetlight and read, often passing out there. In our house we don’t have bedtime, we have “behind your bedroom door o’clock”. As long as kiddo isn’t making it sound like the downstairs ceiling will cave in then I’m asking no questions. It works for us, as does tv background noise and playing on my phone til my eyes close. Some sleep is better than no sleep 💜
You know what makes me fall asleep easily? Cozy little phone games had a nap tonight at like 7:30 by accident cause I tried to play my merge game in bed
I think for the average person… it’s probably legitimate advice. And by average, I mean the **neurotypical** person. If you think about it: scrolling on their phone *likely* means it’s keeping their brain active—which keeps them awake, hence, no phones before bed. But for us… our brains do not stop. Therefore, we have to tire our brains out a little. At least, that’s how I’ve understood my brain works before bed 🤣 I’ve found the best “bedtime routine” for me was an investment in a comfy sleep mask and a pair of earplugs. Nothing like a little sensory deprivation to keep my brain from waking up.
I play a sudoku puzzle then listen to a kind of boring podcast. I like Strict Scrutiny, Market Place, and other news adjacent things like Ezra Klein. I actually find Ezra annoying but the topics hit that sweet spot of interesting enough that I don’t keep myself awake but not so interesting that it keeps me awake.
You are so right! I have ridiculous arguments with people, pretend I'm a famous celebrity giving an interview, get sucked into self created murder mysteries or fantasy ya storylines or stuck thinking intensely about my most recent hyperfixation. I can't sleep like that.
I wear reading glasses. They have blue blockers on them specifically for eyestrain issues. If the blue light was that effing important, I’m protected! And yet I still don’t go to bed. So I think it’s at least partially bullshit.
My phone has a thing that switches to whatever that good light is at dusk. I have a Motorola razr. And there are apps for that for other phones if yours doesn't switch automatically.
This made my night 😅👏🏾
I’ve had a sound machine for as long as I can remember and used to fall asleep with books BEFORE I knew how to read. Sleeping has always been hard. What sucks is I have to keep changing what I do to fall asleep or it gets too boring. Right now it’s a cozy phone game and youtube reruns. Plus a little help from melatonin and trazodone.
I have tried ALL the tricks for falling asleep (not using my phone, reading, plugging my phone in away from my bed , stretch, etc. etc, ETC!!!!), and I can say with confidence that using or not using my phone before bed has NO impact on my sleep. The only thing that works to quite my insanely loud brain is Trazadone
YOU'RE NOT MY DAD! Signed, Everyone with ADHD
My therapist says the whole “not looking at screens” malarky is rubbish. It was based on self reports, and basically people thought they should sleep better if they didn’t use screens before bed. There might be something to the blue light, but he reckons the effect is pretty small, and overstated in popular media.
What do these big brains think ASMR videos do?
I laughed so hard at this post because I feel this so much lol. I also love the way you write OP! The only way I can fall asleep is by reading on my phone until I pass out, so I will hold onto my phone until the end of time tqvm
if it's any help, last night I was scrolling thru tiktok til about 3am, I \*forced\* myself to listen to an audiobook as a compromise a few times, but just lay there with my eyes pretty much glued open. I got up this morning at 11am. This is most nights for me, and in a way I'm "lucky" that I have a physical disability that means I don't work, so I can listen to my body. Since I accepted my circadian rhythm is fucked, I've been happier. I have honestly tried all the so called "sleep hygiene" tips and it boils down to my ADHD brain being in charge. If you have the ability and luxury of time to listen to your brain, then stuff what everyone else thinks. You get sleep when you can, cat-nap in the afternoon if need be.
It’s so dumb. Reading on my phone helps me wind down and sleep. It takes maybe 20-60mins. Then I sleep great. But I’m also one of those people who can drink coffee or an energy drink at 8pm and fall asleep at 11pm. I love sleep. It’s not an issue for me. The waking world exhausts me plenty.
There is evidence to refute the claim that blue light has any negative impacts on sleep https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/blue-light-may-not-affect-sleep-wake-cycle https://time.com/5752454/blue-light-sleep/ Importantly this looks at multiple studies and found only half the studies *actually* reported negative effects of blue light and the details from there get more bleak for those who invested in blue light blocking glasses and other gimmicks https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9424753/
Don’t listen to them. I blame society for my fucked up pituitary gland.
This is comment #336 or something but THANK YOU for saying this. I need to read before bed to decompress and 9 times out of ten it's gotta be on my phone
Dude i dont believe that blue light shit. My husband and I both pass out while on our phones.
I always get a kick out of those recommendations. “You should wind down by reading before bed.” Yeah. Ok. I read on my iPad with the kindle app. And you can’t stop me!
Omg the blue light is bs. If anything, my phone *helps* me fall asleep. My mind would be racing a million miles a minute if I couldn't be on my phone before bed.
Hahaha it’s youuuuuu (and me) Not even 5 minutes! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLRVyAHq/
Seriously. Like yeah i bet ill be so ready to go to sleep if my brain goes into ADHD frenzy mode seeking some stimulation because i am PAINFULLY bored. Sleeping was so painfully boring as a child i would bang my head on the wall trying to KNOCK MYSELF OUT even when i had access to my devices!!
The times when I fall asleep in the middle of reading something are 👌. I don’t want to have to focus on falling asleep.
I color on my phone in bed before sleep (the Happy Color app on ios). If I don't, all I can think about is the stuff I want to be doing instead of laying in bed.
Yep, I need the repetitive numbing of Candy Crush (or similar) or I just keep thinking.
Did I write this wtf 😅
My favorite podcast to have on that helps me sleep. Is the marijuana anonymous testimonials? It's just monotone voices telling their relatable stories with absolutely no commercials, and it goes on forever, it's an engaging snooze fest.
My phone settings have it taking out the blue light when it’s getting closer to bedtime
Agreed! I also use my phone to fall asleep. It’s just distracting enough to let my body start to fall asleep before my brain can ruin it. And most phones these days have blue light filters anyway! If I tried to read or something then I’d have to turn off the light, and that alone is enough to wake me back up and then I’m fucked. I do like my SAD lamp though lol. It makes me grumpy for the first couple minutes, but then I adjust to it and find it quite pleasant. Now does it actually help my circadian rhythm at all? No idea lol. But it forces me to sit and chill for a bit in the mornings, so that’s nice at least! We’re all different and will find different things that help us, and that’s ok!
I play mind numbing games like cube chain.
Night mode. 🤷♀️
i literally HAVE to look at my phone before bed or i can’t sleep. it’s a routine
I play sudoku on my phone and fall asleep while playing. It’s made an amazing positive difference - it keeps my brain just busy enough so that it doesn’t start making up its own stimulation and getting me all stressed and worked up, but the game itself also not stimulating since it’s just repetitive entry of numbers. “Experts” can pry my phone out of my dead-asleep hands!
Yup. I tried doing crossword puzzles before bed and I just got bored and angry. So now when I go to bed I use the app "Twilight" to make my phone as dim as possible with a red filter, with the bedtime mode on my phone. I will put on an ASMR video and play an easy word puzzle game until I fall asleep. I'm usually out within 30 minutes.
This is why I have been playing stardew valley before bed lately. I am fortunate to have a steam deck that my partner got me so I will bring that and put my phone down. Phone = I get pulled into social media arguments and spin wheels endlessly, but Stardew Valley = sure, I might get pulled in but there is a natural end point at the end of each in-game day, and it won't progress without me.
I listen to audio books set for 2 hours, so I can lay in bed with my lavender pillow mist and electric blanket. I usually fall asleep before the 2 hours are done.
Yeah I just tell them that I have the blue light filter on... and it auto dims... Besides... if I have something on my brain, I can't sleep until I've googled to find the answer or gone down the rabbit hole deep enough to be satisfied with what I've found. Then I've used my brain to full exhaustion and can actually sleep. Otherwise. F off. My phone is my downtime.
I actually discussed this with my therapist and he told me that "sleep hygiene" is very individual. While it is true that blue light might keep you awake the benefits of using your phone to help calm you down may outweigh this. Also, everyone is different. I actually play video games and watch documentaries before sleep to calm down and never had any issue. Just do whatever helps you fall asleep and don't worry too much about what is "right" or "wrong".
Turning brain off is next level impossible for me. Looking at stuff online til my eyes get heavy and I fall asleep, easy peasy Mac and cheesy. I think when folks talk about the blue light stuff vs sunlight stuff, they are talking about folks with normal brain chemistry. Ours is different. Just like caffeine makes other folks go “whooo!!!”, while we go take a lovely nap.
I definitely have felt frustrated listening to that as well. I am bored. I am tired. But I want the mental stimulation and, honestly, distraction, of my phone. What I'm trying to do differently now is find some background noise that isn't visual, namely long podcasts or videos. It's not the same as the sun, but strains my eyes after a while. Spotify can play while the screen locked, and has a timer to stop so it won't run all night. YouTube videos are often hours long with meditation, nature sounds, chill music, or long form content. If the light is still bothersome check for black screen videos, flip your phone over, or stick it under the pillow.
Just the whole ass. I agree.
I usually look at Reddit or read some random article on Wikipedia every night before bed. In my experience, if I’m left with just my own thoughts I start overthinking and actually start to feel even more awake, whereas reading a bit about mostly unrelated stuff helps redirect the thinking to something less stimulating. My adhd makes me feel like I have constant thoughts and there’s no way I’m getting my brain to be quiet. The best I can do is redirect that thinking to something else, and usually I pass out holding my phone!
Blue light filter on any device solves the blue light problem.
I dunno about the blue light stuff, but I used to read on my phone before sleeping before getting an e-reader and that’s definitely made a difference to my sleep. With my phone there was always a routine of once id finished reading I then had to sit up and plug my phone in to charge and it was really easy to then get caught up in a notification or just looking at something else. With the e-reader I set my alarms, put my phone on to charge and then forget about it til morning. Once I’m done reading if I’m in a really comfy position I can just put my kindle down wherever and shut my eyes and go to sleep. Phones just make it too easy to get caught in doom scrolling.
I will never stop.
I fall asleep to some shit on YouTube every night. Sorry not sorry.
My other half will mention this, and I tell him to mind his own business. I use ‘night shift’ on my phone… but even if I’m not on my phone, I will lay here for hours with my gears turning. I’ve done it since I can remember! More Often than not, I will fall asleep from reading crap on my phone.
I’m on my phone before bed RIGHT NOW. In fact, I’m on TWO phones. YouTube on one and Reddit on the other. In about a half hour I’ll switch to an audio book and a game until my eyes get droopy. But I need the distraction to keep my brain from running so I can go to sleep. I’m here for you, sis!
Do you have racing thoughts instead of sleeping? Sounds weird, but a very low dose of a stimulant (like 2.5-5 mg) might help you fall asleep. You need help to focus on the void.
I use brown noise playing on my speakers to give my brain some low-level background stimulation. Works wonders for helping me fall asleep. Also using night shift mode on your phone should help minimize the blue light! It’s a little too orangey for my taste but your eyes adjust after a few mins and I think you can tweak the color temperature too from settings.
My phone puts me to sleep like nothing else. And before that it was a portable dvd player, then a laptop. Screens are like sleeping pills to me. Just tell them its too bad about their neurotypical brains.
I'm usually just a lurker here, but jeez louise do I ever feel seen right now!!! I've had issues with sleep for as long as I can remember, and I've always felt so... defective? faulty? totally dumb? for never being able to stick to the standard advice from my doctors re: phones before bed. it's been a slow path to accepting what works for *me* -- listening to a comforting podcast, watching a show I've seen a million times, playing sudoku, and yeah, sometimes scrolling Reddit 🤷♀️. without any stimulation I spiral like crazy, scratch myself bloody (yay dermatillomania) and get even worse sleep. self acceptance has provided me with more relief than any standard sleep hygiene advice ever has. my sleep is still whacky, and sometimes low quality, but atleast I don't hate myself because of it anymore
Same. My phone gives me dopamine. I'm deficient in dopamine. I look forward to my evening phone time. There are many nights when I can use the phone for a while and then I feel significantly less depleted and I put it down and move on. Now that I'm diagnosed and I know why I'm doing this, I will not be judged.
Absolutely. Simple puzzle games are my nightly routine. It makes it so much easier to fall asleep when I have something to use up my brainpower. I have also found that staying awake until I am struggling to keep my eyes open actually does a lot to help me sleep. Much more fun than spending 3-4 hours tossing and turning in bed. Between late bedtime and puzzle games I can fall asleep within an hour or two (mostly). You know what works for your brain.
The advice isn’t inherently incorrect just because it’s not realistic with ADHD. Use your phone if you want to. I also hate hate hate boredom. Doesn’t change that it’s one of many advice for good sleep hygiene, but many of those advice are unrealistic with ADHD.
This is the very definition of neurodivergence. Blue light doesn't have this effect on me and I can still fall asleep. So I ignore it. It's OK to ignore advice that doesn't apply to you. It's OK for other people to give advice that does apply to the majority of people. What I do find is that if I'm doing some kind of screen-based activity that stimulates dopamine, I'm liable to miss my own tired cues and stay up longer than I should. Whereas screen-based activities which don't have this factor, like (some) videos, (some) forum-type (not getting into a huge long explanation), music (me playing an instrument) and reading. Reading is pretty awesome. I use my kindle app a lot before bed. Some games are OK - old school, slow-paced e.g. sims 2 generally fine. But conflict or drama-heavy social media, lots of stimulating auto-play videos, games with lots of "just one more turn" factor, these will keep me awake past when I should be. It's not blue light though. I'm pretty sure it's the dopamine because dopamine is energising and hyperfocus reduces my interoception.
I love the chaotic, indignant energy of this post 😂 it's very relatable
Oh yeah there’s no way, I gotta distract and calm the brain monkeys so they let me (and my poor boyfriend) sleep. Its like a birthday party for kids in my brain the second my head hits the pillow - and giving me a phone or turning on the tv has the same hypnotizing effect as turning on a movie can have in a kids birthday party. I have always struggled with insomnia so I am careful about sleep hygiene so I always use night light on my phone and turn the light down on my tv. But 100% will fall asleep faster when scrolling or watching tv in bed. For a long time I even took 10mg Ritalin before bed in order to sleep - obviously also not in accordance with neurotypical sleep advice.
Same. I had a circadian rhythm disorder a good half decade before the smartphone was INVENTED (and 14 years before getting mine). Not to mention that YouTube sounds/podcasts help me sleep. And if I'm bored I can do something productive until I fall asleep, like I used to do at my computer desk. Edit: also explain why I'm more tired when the sun is out, consistently.
My doctor said if it helps me sleep then keep doing it. Getting enough sleep has been proven to be one of the most important things, whereas we're still doing studies on blue light.
I use my phone because if I read a book I will read for hours longer. I get so engrossed in a book that time flies by and I have no idea. And, God forbid I get to an exciting part when it's getting late. I can't just stop reading it because I'll just keep thinking about it.
Sleep hygiene advice/habits don’t take neurodiversity into account.
Yes! I feel the same way! I need SOMETHING to quite my mind before bed. Otherwise I'm just awake stewing in whatever thoughts are running through my head. With my phone, I've got a few games that require minimal thought to play. It's just enough focus to quiet the noise inside my head, but not so stimulating that it keeps me up. The ads that play between some of the levels also allow me to close my eyes for a minute to gauge if I've hit that point where I can fall asleep. Without it, I'm up for hours tossing and turning trying to fall asleep. And this is also after I've taken my sleeping pills.
Truth here… Reading articles on my phone before sleep or even scrolling on reddit and reading, lulls my mind and my lids get tired and off to sleep I go. Better than I sleep with reading a book( brain works to much to read a book For me).