Dr. Matt Walker

If you look at teen phone use, one of the reasons that they don't sleep very well at night is that they're constantly checking their phones because of FOMO, a fear of missing out.

What has gone on as I've been asleep?

And it's stunning the data.

But for most adults, the other reason I don't like advocating for phone use is

When your alarm goes off in the morning, what is the first thing that you do as you're in bed?

You swipe right or you unlock your phone and you instantly start checking social media, emails, text messages.

And this tsunami of stress and anxiety just floods over you.

It hits you like this wall of anxiety.

And I bring this up because it again trains your brain for expectation of that.

Anticipatory anxiety has a consequence on your sleep.

And everyone knows this.

Let's say that you've booked an early morning flight and you've got to wake up at 5 a.m.

when normally you wake up at 7 a.m.

two things will usually happen.

First, you know that you're just not going to sleep as deeply that night because you're on edge.

And this is for an interview or it's for a critical, like this is a non-negotiable trip that has to happen.

You've got to wake up.

The second thing is that when you are

expecting that wave of sort of a need to wake up.

And maybe it's just, I'm expecting the phone again.