# Do You Power Off Your Cell Phone At Night? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061 "2013-08-24T15:52:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/61 "2013-08-25T16:21:27Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I realized in seeing the subsequent comments that I was misleading in my answer. I **do** have a land-line, so people can phone me on it at night (or during the day) and it will ring. My comments were specific to my cell-phone (I answered the third choice - off at a different time for other reasons). I’m one of those pesky early Millennials who has never had a landline; my parents do and did when I lived there, but I’ve never had my own. I’ve been married almost 4 years now and we only have our two cell phones. Basically, the cell phone _is_ my home phone. > [@](#): > > I never have wrapped my head around needing to be instantly available 24/7 regardless of what I am doing. If I am out and I get an emergency call on my land-line I’ll get the message when I get back. Exactly the same idea as before cell-phones. As others have said, just because the phone rings doesn’t mean you have to answer it. To be honest, I’m more likely to let a call go to voicemail (not in the mood to talk on the phone, not in the mood to talk to that person ;), don’t recognize the number, blocked number, weird out-of-state number, usw.). ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/62 "2013-08-25T16:25:33Z")
We both leave our phones turned on and plugged in overnight, but away from the bedroom. Because of poor cell reception, we forward all calls to our land line when we’re home. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/63 "2013-08-25T16:26:19Z")
My cell phone is my only phone, so yeah it’s on all the time. I don’t understand people saying they don’t like cell phones because “I don’t feel the need to be available 24/7!!!” You do know you don’t have to answer, right? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/64 "2013-08-25T16:35:26Z")
I just got my first cellphone three years ago. And I always leave it off unless I’m making or expecting a call, because really, I don’t need to be bothered with this sort of thing, plus I see how rude many people are with their phones. For real emergencies, people know to call the landline. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/65 "2013-08-25T16:55:51Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > (bolding mine) > > That kind of begs the question… Why not? > > I totally understand that there could be myriad reasons why you don’t have one, (no service in your area, don’t have a realistic need, etc.) but there are quite a few reasons (economy, convenience, portability, etc.) that can make a cell phone a better alternative to a ‘land line’. YMMV 😉 > I’m just a naturally curious person, (sometimes, _too much so_, for my own good) is the only reason I ask. Feel free to ignore the question, if you feel it’s too intrusive. > I voted “On, 24/7.” > I frequently turn the ringer off, (at bed time, when I just don’t want to be bothered, in a meeting, etc.) but it’s nice to be able to have a record of missed calls and know that I can always receive messages via voicemail. > Even if I have the ringer turned off, I can check the voicemail and determine if it’s a call that needs to be returned immediately. I can’t speak for **Der Trihs** , but in our case it was because we had no real need for one since I’m home all the time, we must have a landline anyway for DSL service, and we live in a deep valley in rural bluff country. (Even now we drop calls frequently due to a sporadic signal.) We decided to get cell phones now for a couple of reasons. First, my husband will be taking several extended business trips that involve 12-hour drives and weeks away from home. Second, during an extended power outage last winter our landline service actually failed, which almost never happens, and we couldn’t notify them of it because there were no pay phones left in the surrounding towns. If it weren’t for those reasons, we’d be happy to go without cell phones forever. We still consider it normal to read actual maps, to be occasionally out of touch with people, and to be unable to take photographs or video of everything all the time. We do have an answering machine, and our annoying cordless phone tracks incoming caller ID info, so we know if we miss calls on our landline—and most of them are no loss, believe me. All in all, if I were forced to make a choice, I’d give up my brand-new smart phone before I’d give up my 1960s rotary telephone. I can hear it ring all the way from the chicken coop ;). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/66 "2013-08-25T16:59:16Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > How would they know we’re going to call them if we leave the phone on? Why do you assume their phone is on when want to call them, if it is your practice to leave yours off? My point is, I think is rude to turn yours off, while expecting them to leave theirs on. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/67 "2013-08-25T17:05:20Z")
My cell phone is off unless I remember to take it with me when I leave the house. That’s what it’s for- when I’m not home. I have a land line and I see no reason whatsoever to not have it, particularly since bundling it with internet service is the only inexpensive way to get internet service out here in the sticks. What’s up with all this powered-off and on talk? Off and on still work fine! “My cell phone’s off now. I’ll turn it on later.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/68 "2013-08-25T17:18:57Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > What’s up with all this powered-off and on talk? Off and on still work fine! “My cell phone’s off now. I’ll turn it on later.” I used the phrase “power-off” and “power-on” to stress that I meant actually totally turn off phone, not just let it “sleep” and wake up when phone/text arrives. As you can see, I am obviously in the minority of total power-off, so I am basically 100% unreachable at night unless you are pounding on my door. I fully expected the majority to keep their phones on 24/7…if I had kids or elderly parents or some special job, I fully understand you NEED to be able to be reached for that call at 3:00 AM. In my case (parents deceased, no kids), bad news or news of any kind can wait until I get up and turn on the phone and am ready to deal with it. I cannot think of a single call I would get in the middle of the night that would be worth keeping my phone on to find out. ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/69 "2013-08-25T17:25:47Z")
I recently spent a year with a job that required me to be contactable 24/7. So now I’m conditioned that my cell phone must be turned on and within hearing distance at all times. Not long ago I was going out to run errands and accidentally left my phone in the house. I had this moment of anxiety when I realized I didn’t have my phone followed by remembering that it’s now ok to be unreachable when I feel like it. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/70 "2013-08-25T17:35:57Z")
I have Quiet Time (Android) set from 11pm to 7am. Not long after I got this phone I was woken at 3AM by an Amber Alert reporting a child kidnapping 200 miles away. Then there was the time my brother called me at 2:30AM for no real reason, just to chat. So my phone stays on but no sound at night. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/71 "2013-08-25T17:48:38Z")
I use my phone for an alarm clock so I am woken up even in the event of a power outage. I have an app to silence everything but the alarm between the hours of 2am and 1pm, as long as I am inside my house. As soon as I leave it will turn back to normal volume. No landline. There is no reason to turn a phone off when silencing it is faster. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/72 "2013-08-25T21:42:54Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > Missed this post, before I posted. > I couldn’t have said it any better (and certainly not as eloquently) as **ThelmaLou**! 🆒 Aw, that’s sweet. I’ll take \*your \*calls. 🙂 > [@blondebear](#): > > Frankly, I think cell phones enable people who can’t seem to be anywhere on time–why worry about being prompt when you can just call and say you’re running late? This is the OPPOSITE of me. I’m one of those people who are so compulsively prompt that we can’t bear to make anyone wait for us and are driven to let someone know when we’re going to be even five minutes late. (It’s a curse.) Now, with cell phones, we can. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/73 "2013-08-25T22:53:03Z")
Mine’s on 24/7 but is charged in the kitchen or in my office. I have very few people that call or text me, and they all know better than to try and contact me after about 8pm unless it’s a DIRE emergency. I have 99% of notifications turned off too, so no random dinging for emails or FB updates or anything. If I want to be left alone during the day I just turn the ringer off and leave it in another room. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/74 "2013-08-25T23:11:13Z")
Always on. No one is calling me at 1am unless it’s an emergency and, if it is, why not have the phone on? There’s no reason to turn it _off_ since it’s not disturbing me randomly throughout the night. I do have it charging in another room but that’s mainly out of habit and where the charger wound up. I suppose I could make some argument that having it turned on all night means it handles things like app updates during the night but mainly it’s just habit and lack of a reason to turn it off. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/75 "2013-08-26T00:28:15Z")
I only turn my cell phones on when I want to make a call. The phones both live in my car 99% of the time. Yes, I have two phones that spend most of their time turned off. They both get used at least once a day on average. The reasons for that are complex, involving maximum security, contraband smuggling, and laws that make it a crime for me to bring my state-issued cellphone (or any cellphone) into my state-provided office. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/76 "2013-08-26T02:13:30Z")
Our cell phones normally live in a desk drawer in another room on another floor, so we’re unlikely to hear them in the bedroom. Anyone that knows us and that would have any sort of emergency reason to call us knows to use our land-lines (yes, we have two) as they will ring on brass-belled phones that are nearly impossible to sleep through. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/77 "2013-08-26T03:39:17Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Why do you assume their phone is on when want to call them, if it is your practice to leave yours off? My point is, I think is rude to turn yours off, while expecting them to leave theirs on. I expect that theirs is on because most people are a lot more obsessive about their phones than I am. I’d prefer to leave a voicemail most of the time, so it doesn’t bother me if they do have it off. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/78 "2013-08-26T04:11:16Z")
I’m no slave to a cell phone. It’s turned off by 7:30 every night. Can’t reach me? Tough titty. Call me at a decent time during work hours. We typically unplug the land line by 9 pm. I managed to live over 40 years without a phone hanging off my belt. I’m certainly not going to get bent out of shape over missing a call now. I grew too despise being instantly available when I worked for Computing Services and carried a beeper. We had to call in within 20 minutes of a page whenever we were on call or get written up. I put up with that shit for 5 long years until I got a job as a dept’s IT guy. I never have call in my current job. I work 8 to 5 and 80% time go home. Once in awhile I got a project deadline that forces me to work late to complete it. But that’s my fault for not getting the work done in my 8 to 5 grind. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/79 "2013-08-26T13:54:56Z")
I live alone and keep my cell phone on at all times. If I have a medical emergency in the middle of the night, I’m not going to search for the thing and turn it on. I’ll have to use it NOW! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061/80 "2013-08-26T14:06:52Z")
It’s my alarm clock, so it stays on. I plug it in every night so that it has a full charge in the morning. Texts, emails, facebook updates, etc., won’t wake me up but a phone call will. Other than the exceedingly rare wrong number, I’ve never gotten a phone call late at night that wasn’t important. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-power-off-your-cell-phone-at-night/667061.md?page=5)