# Do you sleep with your phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2018, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306 "2018-12-18T02:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/61 "2018-12-18T19:28:22Z")
If someone wanted to reach me at night, they could probably ring a device that I also hear. But no, in the sense of the OP, I don’t “sleep with my phone”. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/62 "2018-12-18T19:41:18Z")
I always keep my phone on the mattress next to me because it has an app that monitors my sleep and sounds the alarm within 30 minutes of a chosen time when it determines I am my lightest level of sleep. I started doing that when I had an odd working schedule and it helped immensely with me getting enough rest and being alert for meetings. I do, however, put the phone in airplane mode while I am sleeping (unless I am only taking a nap) so that I am not disturbed by any messages. Years ago, when I had a landline and worked nights, I had two phones. One in my room with the ringer off, and one in the living room with the ringer on. That way, when I was sleeping (or about to fall asleep) I would not be woken by telemarketers, but would still hear the phone ring from my room if I was awake. //i\ ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/63 "2018-12-18T20:11:00Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Yes, I’m curious how many of these earnestly baffled people still have a landline phone in their bedroom. I guess that’s the next poll. 😃 My cell is in my office across the hall. We do have a landline in our bedroom (and lots of other rooms, I accumulate phones) but the ringer is turned off. If someone calls long enough, we’ll hear it in my wife’s office down the hall. I have no need for music or TV or podcasts to put me to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/64 "2018-12-18T20:13:14Z")
I sleep with my phone on my nightstand, as it is my alarm clock. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/65 "2018-12-18T21:55:38Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I keep my phone next to my bed as an alarm clock . . . Check. > [@blondebear](#): > > I listen to podcasts or audiobooks when I’m drifting off to sleep . . . Check. > [@Corry\_El](#): > > I’m baffled by why a phone would be actually in the bed rather than night table inches away. . . . Not all audiobooks are loud enough to hear from the night stand if I roll over so that my back is to it. The wraparound pillow probably doesn’t help either. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/66 "2018-12-18T22:22:39Z")
I’m the OP. So, I checked my phone stats and I see that I average 14 hours 30 minutes per day of screen time and I receive an average of 388 notifications per day. So, I think I’m above average for mobile phone usage on the SDMB. I do have friends all around the world, so receiving texts at any time isn’t unusual. I may not need to check messages and breaking news at 4 am when I wake up to use the toilet, but I figure I may as well. There might be unusual activity in the European financial markets, a development in Brexit, or Manchester United firing their manager. Since I know it’ll take me a few minutes to fall back asleep, I may as well jump on Twitter and react to what’s going on in the world. I rarely use the phone as an alarm. This damn night shift means I don’t really have a particular time to wake up in the AM. I’m usually in bed by 2 or 3 am and awake around 10 am. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Ducky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrs_ducky/32/6227_2.png) [@Mrs\_Ducky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Ducky)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/67 "2018-12-18T22:42:44Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Same here. I have a radio alarm clock to wake me in the morning, plus a landline phone on the nightstand. I don’t need the smart phone too. Same here, except I’m retired now so don’t need an alarm! ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/68 "2018-12-18T22:59:10Z")
I sleep with it on my headboard. I don’t sleep with it [like this lady did](https://worldnewsdailyreport.com/woman-sues-samsung-for-1-8m-after-cell-phone-gets-stuck-inside-her-vagina/comment-page-1/)… we’re not that good of friends. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/69 "2018-12-18T23:44:28Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’m the OP. So, I checked my phone stats and I see that I average 14 hours 30 minutes per day of screen time and I receive an average of 388 notifications per day. Do I understand this right? Your looking at you’re phone for 14 hours and 30 minutes a day? Or is it mostly playing music or something for the majority of that time? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/70 "2018-12-19T00:23:46Z")
There are only two things I do in bed and using my phone is not one of them. I’ll bet your sleep quality would improve if you ditched the screens a half hour before going to sleep, for the rest of the night. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/71 "2018-12-19T00:28:01Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Do I understand this right? Your looking at you’re phone for 14 hours and 30 minutes a day? > > Or is it mostly playing music or something for the majority of that time? I’m at the other end. It’s been 3 days:8 hours:42 minutes since the last charge with 56 minute:22 seconds of screen time. I guess I fail at smartphoning. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/72 "2018-12-19T00:49:55Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Not all audiobooks are loud enough to hear from the night stand if I roll over so that my back is to it. I sympathize! Every now and then I’m not in the mood to read before I fall asleep, and would instead like to listen to music for a little while. Luckily, my wake-up-light alarm clock has a radio snooze function. However, if it’s just the right volume when I’m facing it, it’s too quiet when I turn over; and if it’s just the right volume when my back is to it, it’s too loud when I turn over. And I turn over a couple times before settling into a position. Oh, and if I do manage to find a comfy position and just the right volume, it’s guaranteed that the radio station will then begin a 10-minute commercial block. So, the “fall asleep to music” thing hardly ever works for me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/73 "2018-12-19T01:20:37Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > For those of you who can’t imagine why anyone would want their phone in their bedroom or next to their bed…do you/did you have a regular landline in your bedroom? Next to your bed? I’m one of those people, and my answer to both of your questions is no. I don’t think it’s generational - **Roderick Femm** is 69 and I’m only 41. I don’t use my phone as an alarm, don’t use my phone for audiobooks, I use my clock as a clock, and I use Alexa’s sound skills for white noise. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/74 "2018-12-19T01:49:56Z")
I treat my cell phone as I used to treat my landlines phone. It sits on the nightstand next to my bed. It is generally on the charger overnight and I turn notifications off but not ring tone should my family need to reach me. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/75 "2018-12-19T02:21:14Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Do I understand this right? Your looking at you’re phone for 14 hours and 30 minutes a day? > > Or is it mostly playing music or something for the majority of that time? I pretty much interact with my phone every waking minute, so 14.5 hours per day sounds reasonable. My stats for today are ten hours of use including: 1 hour 40 minutes of Facebook, 90 minutes of Facebook messenger, 1 hour 14 minutes of Safari for website usage, 1 hour of Twitter, 48 minutes of Instagram, and 36 minutes of text messages sent via phone rather than Facebook messaging. In a usual day, I range from 500 to 1000 messages though texting and Facebook messanger. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/76 "2018-12-19T03:59:07Z")
Depends on how quickly I fall asleep. ---
**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:** [December 19, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/77 "2018-12-19T04:22:39Z")
I used to sleep with both my phone and my gun under my pillow until one night when I received a call and answered my gun, almost blowing my head off. Nah, just kidding. Everyone here knows I am anti-gun and don’t have one. The wife and I both keep our phones on stands near the bed, especially since I use mine as an alarm, but _in_ the bed? That would be weird. ---
**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:** [December 19, 2018, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/78 "2018-12-19T06:41:27Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I pretty much interact with my phone every waking minute, so 14.5 hours per day sounds reasonable. My stats for today are ten hours of use including: 1 hour 40 minutes of Facebook, 90 minutes of Facebook messenger, 1 hour 14 minutes of Safari for website usage, 1 hour of Twitter, 48 minutes of Instagram, and 36 minutes of text messages sent via phone rather than Facebook messaging. > > In a usual day, I range from 500 to 1000 messages though texting and Facebook messanger. Do you have a job? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/79 "2018-12-19T07:03:04Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Do you have a job? Yes, of course. However, my job is feast or famine and a good part of the time is spent looking at monitors making sure nothing goes wrong. So, I’m on my phone a great deal at work as well. I’m job hunting in 2019 and would love to find a more challenging job. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306/80 "2018-12-19T08:51:58Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I keep my phone on the opposite side of the house from where I sleep. I _intend_ to do this almost every night, and I’m _successful_ about 70% of the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-sleep-with-your-phone/826306.md?page=5)