We’ve been keeping a close eye on The Sleep Charity’s Sleeptember campaign, which reminds us just how much the quality of our sleep can affect our physical and mental wellbeing.

We all know we should be getting a good solid eight hours of shut-eye every night – but how many of us really achieve this on a regular basis?

And if we’re not quite hitting this quota, why is this the case? Is there anything we could be doing to help our brains prepare for a good night’s rest?

While we’re obviously huge advocates of using the latest technology to streamline and improve our lives, the team here at ECOM UK knows first-hand just how much of an impact late-night use of our devices can have on our sleep patterns.

If you too are feeling a bit fatigued by your tech, here are a few nuggets of advice to help you de-stress from your digital presence and set yourself up for some better quality downtime.

Avoid using any blue light emitting devices before bed

While it’s tempting to scroll through Instagram or double-check your work emails last thing at night, this is the worst thing you can do if you’re keen to switch off fully.

The blue light that is emitted from phones, tablets and other devices is known to interrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, which plays a huge role in preparing the body for rest. Blue light tricks the body into thinking it’s still daytime and prevents it from releasing the much-needed hormone melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycles. So, to prevent tech from wreaking havoc with your natural sleep response, avoid looking at devices of any kind for at least an hour before you go to bed.

Stay off social media late in the evenings

Many of us use social media as a distraction from what’s going on in our lives. But social media platforms – especially those that are more visual, such as Instagram and TikTok – can overstimulate our minds rather than relax them. In the worst cases, too much screentime can lead to increased anxiety and a lower overall mood. Studies have shown that children and younger adults are particularly prone to feeling more anxious after too much engagement on these platforms.

The solution? Stay away from your socials after dinner. Those Reels can wait until the morning!

Make the most of your phone’s Do Not Disturb setting

iPhone users: the Do Not Disturb setting will mute your notifications, so you won’t be woken up by rogue calls or texts late at night. Unless your routine demands that you see notifications at different times of the day, we’d recommend setting your phone to Do Not Disturb between 10am and 7am.

If you want to go one step further, try enabling Sleep Mode, which is available on iOS14 and later. You’ll find this handy tool in your iPhone’s Health app. Simply set up your sleep schedule in the app and choose a Wind Down time, and your phone will know to dim your home and lock screens when you’re getting closer to your desired bedtime. You can also choose to add certain relaxing apps to your lock screen at the time (more on these later!). Sleep Mode settings can be adjusted or enforced manually.

Put your phone on airplane mode

We know you probably rely on your phone as your alarm, which makes it difficult to remove it from your bedroom entirely. To make sure you’re not disturbed by any surprise notifications during the night – and there are no incoming or outgoing signals to your device that could interfere with your sleep – we’d suggest putting your phone on airplane mode. It’s a great way to minimise radiation exposure when your device isn’t technically in use.

Remove any noisy tech from your bedroom

From ticking clocks to whirring games consoles, there’s plenty of tech that can interrupt your night’s rest – if you let it. Make sure you get rid of, or turn off, anything that’s going to emit repetitive sounds.

Try sleep-boosting apps

The Sleep Foundation recently released this list of the best sleep apps for 2023. Headspace is one of our favourites – and if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, the Calm app is great for soothing sounds and guided meditations, too. The Freedom app allows you to either block or limit your time on the internet or certain apps; it helps you to avoid procrastinating, reclaim your focus and productivity, and get ready for a peaceful sleep.

You can learn more about Sleeptember here. Be sure to follow the hashtag #KnowYourSleep on social media for information on the initiative and plenty of tips and advice.