Doomscrolling Before Bed? We All Do It, but Here’s Why It Might Be Time to Stop
After a long day of parenting my toddler, I (like so many of you) found myself mindlessly scrolling through TikTok. At first, it was the usual mix of comfort content: funny podcast clips, home tours, outfit ideas. My brain started to relax. I was finally settling in for what promised to be a satisfying, if slightly too late, scroll session.
Then, suddenly, I was hit with a video of an “expert” explaining how daycare harms children. A pit formed in my stomach. My little boy goes to daycare every day. I’m ashamed to admit, I watched the video three times.
And here’s the thing: I’m a psychologist. I’ve read the research on attachment. I know what secure attachment looks like. I have zero doubts about the bond I share with my son. He loves his daycare and adores his teachers. I receive daily pictures of him happily painting with cotton balls, playing in sensory bins, and helping a friend with stickers (doing things I, let’s be honest, couldn’t manage alone). Like many of you, I work to help support my family, and we don’t have nearby relatives to watch him during the day.
But still. That video grabbed me. Guilt washed over me, and I began questioning everything I knew. I felt anxious, helpless, and more than a little ashamed. Sounds like excellent conditions for a restful night’s sleep, right?
Turns out, there’s research to explain why this happens and why it’s worth paying attention to.
The Bedtime Scroll Trap
A 2022 study by McDaniel et al. found that many mothers used their phones at bedtime, averaging about 35 minutes of use. That alone may not seem harmful, but what happened next is key: the more time these mothers spent on their phones before bed, the more fatigued and emotionally drained they felt the next day. The emotional spillover was real—and that was before factoring in the added pressure of guilt-inducing content.
Other research shows that while parents use their phones for many good reasons—seeking parenting tips, connecting with loved ones, and finding moments of humor or escape—there’s a downside. Studies have found that bedtime phone use can interfere with sleep, increase stress, and worsen overall well-being (McDaniel, 2020; Radesky et al., 2016; Torres et al., 2021; Wolfers, 2021).
A 2018 study titled “Sleeping With the Frenemy” (Hughes & Burke) found that participants who removed their phones from their bedrooms for just one week experienced small but measurable increases in happiness and quality of life. Perhaps more powerful than the data itself? Over 93% of participants said they’d consider keeping that habit going because they felt better—even when the surveys didn’t fully capture it.
Why It Matters
We know that resilience isn’t just something we hope to teach our children. It’s something we have to practice ourselves. And doomscrolling, especially right before bed, often does the opposite. It hijacks our thoughts, disrupts sleep, and leaves us more vulnerable to worry and burnout.
A Gentle Shift: Try This
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and we’re not here to guilt you about it. We’re here to offer a soft, supportive nudge:
Try moving your phone charger outside your bedroom.
It’s a small, actionable shift. But it creates space, literally and mentally, to rest without interruption. Try this for a week. You might notice a real difference in your sleep and mood. It may not be perfect, but it can be a meaningful improvement. And sometimes, better is the most beautiful kind of progress.
Talk to you soon!
