One last message before bed, a few minutes on social media, setting the alarm for the next morning… For many of us, our phone has become one of the last things we look at at night and one of the first things we check when we wake up.
But should we really be concerned about leaving it on the bedside table all night? Is sleeping with your phone next to your bed bad for your sleep? Should you switch it off, put it on airplane mode or simply stop looking at it before going to bed?
The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Having a phone nearby is not necessarily the main issue. It is primarily how we use it in the evening, the light from the screen, notifications and our tendency to check it that can interfere with our sleeping habits.
Is Sleeping With Your Phone Next to Your Bed Really Bad?
Leaving your phone on a bedside table does not have the same impact as spending an hour scrolling once you are already in bed.
To understand the issue, it is therefore important to distinguish between having your phone in the bedroom and using it around bedtime.
If your phone remains silent and you do not check it, simply having it nearby does not automatically mean you will have a bad night's sleep. However, if it encourages you to check one last notification, reply to a message or keep scrolling when you had planned to sleep, it can easily delay your bedtime.
The real issue is therefore often behavioural: our phones can keep our attention engaged at precisely the moment when we are trying to slow down.
Can Looking at Your Phone Before Bed Affect Your Sleep?
Yes, several factors can come into play. The first is simply the amount of time spent looking at the screen.
You planned to go to bed at 11 pm, but you watch one video, then another, reply to a message and quickly check your social media. Without necessarily realising it, a few minutes can turn into much longer and delay the time you actually go to sleep.
The content you look at matters too. An animated conversation, an engaging video, a work email or an endless stream of short-form content can keep your attention active when you are trying to relax.
Creating a transition between daytime and bedtime can instead help establish a genuine evening routine: gradually reducing stimulation, preparing your bedroom and returning to an environment associated with rest.
The comfort of your bed can also be part of this ritual. Pleasant bed linen, a pillow suited to your sleeping habits or a duvet chosen according to your preferences can all help create a space where you want to unwind. Discover our selection of Carré Blanc bed linen to create a bedroom designed as a true space for rest.
What About Blue Light From Screens?
Light is one of the signals our bodies use to synchronise the sleep-wake cycle. In the evening, significant exposure to light can therefore influence when our bodies begin preparing for sleep.
Screens emit light that includes blue wavelengths. However, it would be too simplistic to reduce the issue to “blue light = bad night's sleep”. The intensity of the light, how long you are exposed to it, the time at which you use your screen and what you are doing on your phone also matter.
Switching on night mode or reducing the brightness can make the screen more comfortable to look at in the evening, but it does not necessarily solve the main problem if you continue using your phone long after the time you intended to sleep.
In other words, reducing the amount of time you spend on your phone before bed may be more relevant than focusing solely on the colour of the screen.
Can Notifications Wake You Up Even If You Don't Check Your Phone?
Messages, emails, news alerts, social media… A phone left active during the night can make sounds, vibrate or light up its screen whenever a new notification arrives.
Some notifications may wake you completely. Others may simply interrupt your sleep momentarily, particularly if you are sensitive to noise or light.
And once you are awake, the temptation is obvious: “Since I'm awake, I might as well check the time.” Once the screen is on, one notification can lead to another, then a message, followed by several minutes spent on your phone in the middle of the night.
Silent or “Do Not Disturb” mode can therefore be useful for limiting these interruptions, particularly if you use your phone as an alarm and want to keep it in the bedroom.
Should You Worry About Phone Radio Waves During the Night?
This is probably one of the questions that causes the most concern: does sleeping with a phone on your bedside table mean exposing yourself to something dangerous for several hours?
Mobile phones use non-ionising radiofrequency energy. This is not the same type of radiation as ionising radiation such as X-rays.
Official regulations also set exposure limits for mobile devices sold to consumers. Based on current evidence, it is therefore not justified to present simply sleeping with a phone nearby as a proven health danger.
If you would nevertheless prefer to reduce your exposure during the night, you can move your phone further away or use airplane mode when you do not need to be reachable. But when it comes to sleep, phone habits, notifications and screen exposure are much more practical issues to consider in everyday life.
Can Your Phone Stop the Bedroom From Becoming a True Space for Rest?
There is another, less visible aspect to consider: our habits.
When we work, answer emails, watch videos and browse social media directly from bed, the bed gradually becomes a place where we do much more than sleep.
By contrast, a few simple habits can help mark the transition to bedtime: putting your phone down, dimming the lights, reading a few pages, preparing your bed or simply taking a few minutes to slow down.
The bedroom environment can contribute to this feeling too. Materials and textures can help create a softer, more inviting atmosphere. Washed cotton bed linen, for example, offers a soft feel and naturally relaxed appearance, while cotton sateen bed linen provides a smoother, silkier feel. If you prefer a crisp, fresh sensation, cotton percale bed linen is another option.
The aim is obviously not to create a perfect bedroom in order to sleep well, but rather to gradually associate your bed and bedroom with a moment of calm and disconnection.
So, Should You Ban Your Phone From the Bedroom?
Not necessarily. If you use your phone as an alarm, need to remain reachable or simply do not feel tempted to check it, there is no need to automatically leave it in another room.
However, if you regularly find yourself delaying bedtime because of your screen, checking notifications whenever you wake up or having your sleep interrupted by your phone, changing a few habits can make a meaningful difference to your evening routine.
In Part 2, we will look more closely at how your phone can interfere with sleep, why evening scrolling can so easily delay bedtime and what can happen when you turn your screen back on after waking in the middle of the night.
How Can Your Phone Actually Disrupt Your Sleep?
Your phone does not necessarily disturb your sleep simply because it is in the bedroom. The problem mainly arises when it delays the time you fall asleep, keeps your attention engaged or interrupts your sleep.
And this can happen without you really noticing. A few minutes spent on your phone before bed can easily turn into much longer, while a quick glance at the screen during the night can make it harder to switch off again.
Why Does Evening Scrolling Make Us Go to Bed Later?
“Just one more video and then I'll sleep.” It is probably one of the most familiar situations when using your phone in bed.
Social media, short videos, news and other content are continuously available. Unlike a book or an episode that eventually ends, there is not always a clear signal telling you that it is time to stop.
The risk is very simple: gradually delaying bedtime. If you planned to turn the lights off at 11 pm but stay on your phone until midnight, you have simply reduced the amount of time available for sleep if your wake-up time remains the same.
An occasional late night is not necessarily a problem. But when it becomes a habit, your phone can gradually start eating into your nights.
Why Is It Sometimes So Difficult to Put Your Phone Down Before Bed?
The evening is often one of the few moments of the day when we finally have some time to ourselves. It can therefore be tempting to extend this time by watching a few videos, chatting with friends or browsing social media.
The issue is not only the light from the screen. What you are looking at can also keep your attention active. A conversation, a news story, an engaging video or even a work email can quickly take you from a moment of relaxation to feeling much more alert.
It can therefore be helpful to create a short transition before going to sleep rather than moving directly from your screen to bedtime.
This transition can be very simple: putting a few things away, preparing the bedroom, taking a shower, reading or simply spending a few quiet minutes in a comfortable bed. Pleasant bed linen, materials you enjoy and a bedroom where you feel comfortable can all help turn this moment into a genuine evening ritual.
Checking the Time on Your Phone During the Night: A Bad Idea?
You wake up in the middle of the night and your first instinct is to check the time. 3:17 am. You put your phone back down… and immediately start calculating how many hours you have left before your alarm goes off.
This very common habit can become counterproductive if checking the time makes you anxious or encourages you to start using your phone.
The issue is therefore not necessarily checking the time once, but what may follow: looking at a notification, opening a message, checking social media or simply remaining focused on the screen when you were still half asleep.
If this happens regularly, placing your phone slightly out of reach may be enough to break the automatic habit without having to ban it from the bedroom completely.
Why Can Checking Your Phone at 3 am Make It Harder to Fall Back Asleep?
Waking up during the night can happen. But when your phone immediately becomes part of the equation, a few seconds can quickly turn into several minutes.
The screen introduces light into a previously dark bedroom, while the content you look at engages your attention again. A message may make you think, a news story may worry you or one video may tempt you to watch another.
You can then go from a brief night-time awakening to a genuine period of activity, which may make it harder to return to the calm state needed to fall asleep again.
If you wake during the night, it is therefore best, whenever possible, to avoid turning that moment into another phone session.
Can Notifications Disrupt Your Sleep Without Fully Waking You?
You do not necessarily have to wake up and pick up your phone for it to become disruptive. A vibration on the bedside table, a notification sound or a screen lighting up in a dark bedroom can all create a disturbance.
However, we do not all react in the same way. Some people sleep through notifications without noticing them, while others are much more sensitive to noise and light.
If you want to keep your phone near your bed, “Do Not Disturb” mode is a simple solution. Most smartphones also allow you to let calls or messages from selected contacts through while silencing other notifications during the night.
Should You Stop Using Screens an Hour Before Bed?
We often hear that all screens should be avoided for one or even two hours before bedtime. In practice, there is no single magic amount of time that will suit everyone.
If you use your phone in the evening without delaying bedtime and can easily put it down afterwards, your habits are different from those of someone who regularly spends an extra hour scrolling in bed.
A more realistic approach is therefore to observe your own behaviour. What time did you intend to go to sleep? And what time did you actually put your phone down? The difference can be revealing.
You can then try introducing a screen-free period before bed — even a relatively short one — and see whether this transition works better for you.
How Can You Create a Real Transition Between Screens and Sleep?
Rather than treating your phone as something that must be completely forbidden, you can try to create a moment that naturally makes you want to put it down.
Start by making the bedroom calmer: lower the lighting, silence your phone, keep the room at a comfortable temperature and prepare your bed. Simply repeating the same actions each evening can gradually help mark the end of the day.
Your choice of bed linen can also contribute to the comfort of this moment. If you enjoy a crisp, fresh feel, you can opt for cotton percale. For a smoother, silkier touch, discover our cotton sateen bed linen. And if you prefer a softer, more relaxed appearance, cotton gauze can help create a more relaxed atmosphere.
You can also spend the last few minutes before bed doing something that does not require a screen: reading a few pages of a book, listening to calm music, preparing your clothes for the next day or simply taking a moment to unwind.
Is Your Phone the Only Thing to Consider If You Are Sleeping Poorly?
No. It would be too simplistic to blame a bad night's sleep entirely on your smartphone.
Light in the bedroom, noise, temperature, bedtime habits, bedding and other everyday factors can also influence how comfortable your night feels.
For example, a pillow that no longer suits your preferences or a duvet that feels too warm for your bedroom can make your bed less comfortable. At Carré Blanc, our Choosing Your Bedding guide helps you compare duvets and pillows according to your habits and the level of comfort you are looking for.
If you regularly struggle to sleep, the aim is therefore not necessarily to identify a single “culprit”, but rather to look at your overall sleep environment and evening habits.
What If You Use Your Phone as an Alarm?
This is one of the main reasons why we keep our phones close by during the night. The good news is that you do not have to stop using this function to change your habits.
You can simply place your phone a little further away from the bed, for example on a piece of furniture rather than directly beside your pillow. You will still hear the alarm, but you may be less tempted to automatically reach for your phone whenever you wake up.
Another option is to go back to using a traditional alarm clock. This allows you to leave your phone further away, or even outside the bedroom, if you find that having it nearby always encourages you to check it.
In Part 3, we will look at where to place your phone at night, whether airplane mode is useful, whether you should switch your phone off and which habits can help you disconnect before bed. We will also answer the most frequently searched questions in our FAQ.
Where Should You Put Your Phone When You Sleep?
There is no universal distance you need to keep between your phone and your bed in order to sleep better. However, if having it within reach encourages you to check it, moving it slightly further away can be a very simple solution.
Instead of leaving it directly on your bedside table, you could place it on a chest of drawers or another piece of furniture a little further away. The aim is not to measure a precise distance, but to break the automatic habit of reaching for your screen.
If you do not need your phone as an alarm or need to remain reachable during the night, you can also choose to leave it outside the bedroom.
Should You Put Your Phone on Airplane Mode at Night?
Airplane mode switches off your phone's main wireless connections. It can therefore be useful if you want to avoid calls, messages and other interruptions during the night.
However, airplane mode is not essential for sleeping well. If your main difficulty is that you tend to check your phone in bed, switching on airplane mode will not necessarily change that habit.
“Do Not Disturb” mode can be a practical alternative if you need to remain reachable by certain people. Depending on your phone's settings, you can allow calls or messages from selected contacts while silencing other notifications during the night.
Should You Switch Your Phone Off at Night?
You do not need to switch your phone off completely every night. For many people, leaving it on silent or “Do Not Disturb” mode is enough to prevent interruptions.
Switching it off can, however, offer one very practical advantage: creating a genuine break from the day. Once the device is switched off, there is less temptation to check one last message or pick it up after waking during the night.
The best choice is therefore the one that suits your habits. If you can leave your phone untouched without feeling tempted to check it, there is no need to impose a strict rule on yourself.
Can You Charge Your Phone Next to Your Bed?
Charging your phone in the bedroom is not in itself a problem for sleep. However, a few simple safety precautions should be followed.
Avoid charging your phone under your pillow, under the duvet or among your bed linen. A device can generate heat while charging and should be able to remain properly ventilated.
Use a suitable charger and cable in good condition, and place your phone on a stable, uncovered surface rather than directly on the bed.
This precaution is particularly important in a bedroom where there are plenty of textiles: sheets, duvets, pillows, throws and cushions should be kept away from a charging device that may become warm.
How Can You Stop Checking Your Phone Before Bed?
If your phone is automatically part of the final minutes of your day, there is no need to completely transform your routine overnight. A few simple changes can already help create more distance between you and your screen.
- Choose a time to put your phone down, for example when you begin your evening routine.
- Switch on “Do Not Disturb” mode so that every notification no longer demands your attention.
- Move your phone away from the bed if you tend to reach for it automatically.
- Avoid starting something new on your phone once you are in bed, whether that is a series, social media, emails or the news.
- Gradually replace scrolling with another evening ritual: reading, listening to music, preparing for the next day or simply taking a few minutes to relax.
The idea is not to turn bedtime into a long list of rules, but to create a clearer transition between the stimulation of the day and the moment you go to sleep.
Create a Bedroom That Makes You Want to Switch Off
Putting your phone down can also feel more natural when the bedroom is designed as a genuine space for rest.
Soft lighting, a tidy room, a comfortable temperature and an inviting bed can all help create a break from the rest of the day. Your choice of bed linen can also help you create an atmosphere that matches the feeling you are looking for.
At Carré Blanc, you can choose your bed linen according to your preferences: cotton percale for a crisp, fresh feel, cotton sateen for a smooth, silky touch, or cotton gauze for a soft feel and naturally relaxed appearance.
Comfort also comes from your bedding. A pillow suited to your preferences and a duvet chosen according to the level of warmth you are looking for can help create a bed you enjoy settling into at the end of the day.
For more advice, discover our Choosing Your Bedding guide.
A Simple Routine to Disconnect Before Bed
You do not need a complicated bedtime ritual. You could simply prepare your bedroom, switch on “Do Not Disturb”, place your phone away from the bed and spend the final minutes of the evening doing something calming.
The most important thing is to find a routine you can realistically maintain. If thirty minutes without your phone seems unrealistic, start smaller. Even deciding not to look at your screen once the lights are off can already change the role your phone plays during the night.
And if you use your smartphone as an alarm, simply place it far enough away that you cannot reach for it without thinking. This also means you will need to get out of bed to switch off the alarm in the morning.
FAQ: Phones and Sleep
Is It Bad to Sleep With Your Phone Next to Your Bed?
Simply having a phone next to your bed does not automatically mean it will disrupt your sleep. Its use before bedtime, notifications, screen light and checking it during the night are more likely to interfere with your sleep habits.
How Far Away Should Your Phone Be When You Sleep?
There is no specific distance that everyone needs to follow in order to sleep better. If your phone encourages you to check it, the main thing is to place it far enough away that you cannot automatically reach for it from bed.
Should You Put Your Phone on Airplane Mode When You Sleep?
It is not essential. Airplane mode can be useful for switching off wireless connections and avoiding certain interruptions. If you need to remain reachable, “Do Not Disturb” mode can usually limit notifications while allowing selected exceptions.
Should You Switch Your Phone Off at Night?
No, you do not have to switch it off. You can also leave it on silent or “Do Not Disturb”. Switching it off may nevertheless be helpful if it makes you less likely to check your phone once you are in bed.
Does Blue Light From Your Phone Really Stop You From Sleeping?
Light from screens in the evening can influence signals involved in the sleep-wake cycle, but it is too simplistic to blame blue light alone for difficulty falling asleep. The intensity and duration of exposure, the time of use and the amount of time you spend on your phone also matter.
Is It Bad to Check Your Phone in the Middle of the Night?
Checking your phone after waking during the night can make it harder to settle down again. The screen introduces light, while messages, news and social media can engage your attention. If you wake up, it is generally better to avoid turning that moment into another scrolling session.
Can You Sleep With Your Phone Under Your Pillow?
It is best not to keep your phone under your pillow, particularly while it is charging. The device needs to be able to dissipate heat properly and should not be covered by bedding during charging.
Can You Charge Your Phone in the Bedroom Overnight?
Yes, provided you follow the manufacturer's safety instructions. Place the phone on a stable, uncovered surface, use suitable charging equipment in good condition and avoid covering the device with a pillow, duvet or other textiles.
Is Night Mode Enough to Help You Sleep Better?
Night mode can reduce screen brightness or change its colour temperature, but it does not reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone. If your phone regularly causes you to delay bedtime, changing how you use it may be more useful than relying on this setting alone.
Keeping Your Phone in the Bedroom: What Should You Remember?
You do not necessarily need to ban your phone from the bedroom to sleep better. What matters most is the role it plays in your evening routine.
If it sits silently on a table and simply serves as your alarm, its presence is not the same as spending an hour scrolling in bed. However, if you regularly delay bedtime, check every notification or turn the screen on whenever you wake up, moving your phone further away can be a useful way to change these automatic habits.
Sleep also depends on many different factors. Limiting stimulation, reducing light and noise and creating a comfortable environment are all elements worth considering together.
At Carré Blanc, we see the bedroom as a space dedicated to comfort and rest. Discover our selection of bed linen, bedding and our advice for creating a bedroom where it may become just a little easier to put your phone down.
Is Night Mode Enough to Help You Sleep Better?
Night mode can reduce screen brightness or change its colour temperature, but it does not reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone. If your phone regularly causes you to delay bedtime, changing how you use it may be more useful than relying on this setting alone.
Keeping Your Phone in the Bedroom: What Should You Remember?
You do not necessarily need to ban your phone from the bedroom to sleep better. What matters most is the role it plays in your evening routine.
If it sits silently on a table and simply serves as your alarm, its presence is not the same as spending an hour scrolling in bed. However, if you regularly delay bedtime, check every notification or turn the screen on whenever you wake up, moving your phone further away can be a useful way to change these automatic habits.
Sleep also depends on many different factors. Limiting stimulation, reducing light and noise and creating a comfortable environment are all elements worth considering together.
At Carré Blanc, we see the bedroom as a space dedicated to comfort and rest. Discover our selection of bed linen, bedding and our advice for creating a bedroom where it may become just a little easier to put your phone down.
