Banning your phone from the bedroom is the best way to get a good night’s sleep, according to Jess Kelly.

Newstalk’s tech correspondent was speaking after a new study found that more than half of us stay awake longer than because of smartphones and devices.

The figure is even higher for 18 to 24-year-olds (62%) and 25 to 34-year-olds (64%).

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Jess said she was surprised the figures were not even higher.

“Pretty much every person I talk to says they might go for a quick scroll on social media before they sleep or maybe they have a song stuck in their head they do a quick Google and suddenly end up in a rabbit hole right before you to sleep,” she said.

“So, people are on their phones and we know that the blue light that comes from the screens does impact people’s brains and does keep us awake for longer. So that is not great.

“Another stat that jumped out to me is about 60% of us are using our phone first thing in the morning - so the second we wake up.”

Phone-free bedroom

When it comes to using the phone as soon as they wake, 18 to 34-year-olds are the biggest offenders (71%).

Meanwhile, women are more likely than men to go on their phone first thing (66% to 52%).

“Apparently, the ideal is to have a phone-free bedroom,” said Jess.

“You’re not meant to have your phone with you in the bedroom with you and that will give you a better sleep.”

Screen time

Most phones do have built-in features that allow you track and reduce your usage.

When using an iPhone, you can go to the Screen Time section and set limits for the amount of time permitted on individual apps.

The feature also shows you the average time you spend on your phone each day.

“For example, I’m an Instagram fiend,” said Jess.

“I could spend, no joke, six hours a day on Instagram. So, I now have a two-hour limit a day on my phone – which is still a ridiculous amount of time, but after two hours it cuts off the app.

“So, we can take control of these things. It is the same on Android as well.”

Sleep

She said studies have shown the benefits of reducing the amount of time spent on your smart devices.

“The science is there,” she said. “We know that when you’re not on your phone, you do feel better and when you spend more time on your phone it can contribute to anxiety and all the rest.

“We all need to remember that we can take control and do something about the amount of time we spend on our devices.”

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