Every night, I tell myself that I will go to bed early. I finish my homework, pack my school bag and get ready to sleep. Then I pick up my phone “for just five minutes”. Somehow, those five minutes turn into half an hour – or even longer!

Why Is It So Hard to Stop?

Phones are designed to keep us interested. There is always another video, message or notification waiting for us. When something feels rewarding or exciting, our brain wants to continue experiencing it. This is why I sometimes find myself saying, “Just one more video,” even when I know I should be sleeping.

Is My Phone Stealing My Sleep?

Screens can also affect our sleep because they produce blue light. This light can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps our body prepare for sleep. When I use my phone late at night, I often feel as though my brain is still active even when I am physically tired. Instead of falling asleep immediately, I keep thinking about what I have just watched or read.

The Next-Morning Problem

The real problem appears the next morning. After staying up late, getting out of bed becomes much harder. I feel sleepy during lessons, find it more difficult to concentrate and sometimes struggle to remember information that I would normally understand easily. It makes me realise that losing an hour of sleep at night can affect much more than just my bedtime.

What Actually Works

I have started trying a few simple habits. I keep my phone away from my bed, avoid watching videos just before sleeping and try to finish my screen time at least a little earlier. Of course, I do not always succeed. Sometimes that “one last video” still wins!

Sleep or Screen? The Choice Is Mine

I think phones are useful and entertaining, but they can easily become a distraction when we do not set limits. For me, the trick is not giving up my phone completely. It is learning when to put it down.

After all, there will always be another video tomorrow—but tomorrow’s school day starts whether I am ready for it or not!