Get an Alarm Clock, People

I have heard many references recently to people “waking up and checking their cell phones first thing in the morning.”  I am against cell phones in the bedroom.  I know lots of people don’t have landlines or alarm clocks anymore. I say, “Get a f#@king alarm clock, people.”  And here’s why . . .

1. Better Sleep

If your phone is in your bedroom prior to sleep, you are going to be tempted to check e-mail and texts, or read articles, right before you try to sleep.  All of this information can increase anxiety and give your brain a reason to distract you from sleep.  In addition, it is well documented that using light-emitting electronic devices prior to sleep inhibits the production of Melatonin which helps prepare your body to shut down for sleep (Mark Millan,”Reading on iPad before bed can affect sleep habits” April 24, 2010).

A May 2008 article in Scientific American (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mind-control-by-cell) even suggests that being near a cell phone while trying to sleep can disrupt brainwaves even after the phone is turned off.

2. Pavlovian Response
When our phones “bing,” “chirp” or “tweet” audio signals, letting us know that we have received communication (texts, voicemails, tweets), we are willingly participating in Classical Conditioning made famous by physiologist Ivan Pavlov and his dogs (and illustrated hilariously on an episode of “The Office” when Jim trains Dwight to crave Altoids, http://vimeo.com/5371237).

If you want to be more productive and waste less time checking e-mail, texts, etc, turn off your alert sounds and just check when you take periodic breaks from work.  Though the sounds are more deeply reinforcing, even seeing your phone makes you want to check it.  So leaving your phone outside of your bedroom helps you avoid the trigger and get down to the business of sleep.